Woodpeckers are unique birds, easily recognized by their strong beaks, vertical posture, and rhythmic “drumming” against wood, which often serves as a form of communication. While their diet is varied and primarily composed of forest pests, the direct answer to whether they eat termites is yes. However, termites generally represent an opportunistic or secondary food source for most species.
Termites: A Supplemental Food Source
Woodpeckers will readily consume termites when they are encountered, often locating them by listening for the subtle sounds of the colony’s activity within wood. Subterranean and dampwood termites, which infest decaying wood, are the most common species consumed, as they are accessible to the birds’ foraging methods.
Termites are particularly attractive when they form a large, concentrated food source, such as a mud tube or infested structural timber. Species like the large Pileated Woodpecker are known to raid entire termite colonies when discovered, using their powerful bills to expose the chambers. This consumption is usually a secondary feeding behavior, triggered by the discovery of an existing infestation rather than a primary foraging goal.
The Woodpecker’s Core Diet
The bulk of a woodpecker’s diet is made up of other arthropods, particularly the larvae of wood-boring beetles, commonly called grubs. These large, protein-rich larvae are often nestled deep within the cambium layer of trees, requiring the bird to chisel through bark and wood to reach them.
Ants, especially carpenter ants, constitute another significant portion of the core diet for many woodpecker species. The Northern Flicker, for instance, spends a large amount of its foraging time on the ground, probing anthills to extract these insects. A single Pileated Woodpecker’s diet during the warmer months can be composed of ants for nearly half its intake.
Woodpeckers exhibit dietary flexibility, shifting to plant-based items based on seasonal availability. This includes consuming nuts, seeds, and berries during the fall and winter months when insect populations decline. Certain species, known as sapsuckers, specialize in drilling rows of small holes to lap up tree sap, often consuming the small insects that become trapped in the sticky substance.
Specialized Tools for Finding Prey
Woodpeckers possess unique biological mechanisms that facilitate their specialized foraging behavior. The rhythmic drumming sound they produce serves as a sensory tool to detect the presence of insects deep inside the wood. The slight change in resonance indicates a hollow space or an insect gallery, guiding the bird to where it should begin excavating.
The skull of the woodpecker is highly specialized, featuring a sturdy bone structure that encases the brain and includes areas of spongy bone to help distribute the force of impact. Strong neck muscles brace the head against the impact, mitigating the effects of the rapid, high-force pecking. This design protects the bird’s brain from injury, allowing it to strike wood at high speeds without the risk of concussion.
The most distinctive tool is the tongue, which is supported by a long, flexible hyoid bone that wraps around the back of the skull. When extended, this tongue can reach far into the galleries excavated by wood-boring insects. The tip of the tongue is often barbed and coated in sticky saliva, which allows the bird to spear or adhere to the prey and draw it out of the narrow tunnels.