The Downy Woodpecker, Dryobates pubescens, is the smallest and most widespread woodpecker found across North America. Its small size allows it to forage in places larger woodpeckers cannot.
Primary Food Sources
Downy Woodpeckers primarily consume insects, which constitute more than 75% of their diet. They seek out beetle larvae, ants, gall wasps, and caterpillars. They also eat scale insects, corn earworms, moths, and mayflies. This diet contributes to natural pest control.
Beyond insects, Downy Woodpeckers supplement their diet with various plant materials. They consume seeds, particularly from conifers, and nuts like acorns. Berries from plants such as Virginia creeper, sumac, and flowering dogwood are also part of their intake. Tree sap is another food source, especially in early spring and late winter, which they access by pecking into trees like maples, birches, and oaks.
Foraging Methods
Downy Woodpeckers use several techniques to find food. They use their strong bills to tap and excavate into wood, listening for hidden insects beneath the bark. Their long, barbed tongues, coated with sticky saliva, extract prey from crevices and tunnels. This specialized bill and tongue allow them to access insects that are deep within wood or inside plant galls.
They forage on tree trunks, limbs, smaller branches, twigs, and weed stalks, often hanging upside down. Their small size allows them to explore areas inaccessible to larger woodpeckers. Males tend to forage on smaller branches and weed stems, while females often concentrate their efforts on larger branches and tree trunks.
Seasonal Dietary Changes
The diet of Downy Woodpeckers changes seasonally based on food availability. During warmer months, their diet is predominantly insect-based, with much of their foraging involving gleaning insects from the surface of bark. As temperatures drop and insect populations decline, they shift their focus to other food sources.
In winter, Downy Woodpeckers rely on alternative foods. They increase their consumption of seeds, nuts, and berries. Suet becomes an important source of high-energy fat, especially during colder periods when insects are scarce. They may also access tree sap in late winter and early spring, utilizing sap wells created by sapsuckers or making their own.
Attracting Downy Woodpeckers
Attracting Downy Woodpeckers to a backyard involves providing suitable food sources and habitat. Suet feeders are effective, especially during winter, as suet offers a rich source of fat and energy. Black oil sunflower seeds are another favored food, along with peanuts. These foods can be offered in mesh feeders or suet cages that allow the birds to cling.
Providing native trees and shrubs that offer insects, seeds, and berries can also draw these woodpeckers. Plants like flowering dogwood, sumac, and various conifers are beneficial. While they typically excavate their own nesting cavities, leaving dead trees or snags intact provides natural foraging and roosting spots. Offering a shallow bird bath with clean water can also meet their hydration needs.