Dante Carrillo
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. They are found worldwide, except for a few regions, and are known for their unique behaviour and ability to peck holes in solid wood. While their trademark drilling is often associated with communication, it also serves a dietary purpose. So, what do they eat?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Dietary flexibility | High |
| Diet | Insects, tree sap, fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, birds' eggs, small animals, human scraps, carrion, ants, grubs, spiders, wood-boring bugs, mealworms, caterpillars, earthworms, plant foods, bottled or homemade nectar |
| Feeding behaviour | Solitary or in groups |
| Migration | Some woodpecker species migrate during the day |
| Habitat | Forests, woodlands, treeless areas like rocky hillsides and deserts |
| Anatomy | Strong zygodactyl feet, sharp chisel-like bill, long tongue that may be sticky or tipped with barbs |
| Communication | Drumming, bill pointing and jabbing, head shaking, wing flicking, chasing, vocalizations |
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What You'll Learn
Woodpeckers are known to eat insects, including ants, grubs, and wood-boring bugs
Woodpeckers are insectivorous birds, known to feed on a variety of insects, including ants, grubs, and wood-boring bugs. They are highly skilled at extracting insects from trees, using their specialised beaks to drill holes and their long, sticky tongues to pull the insects out. The northern flicker woodpecker, for example, is often seen foraging on the ground for ants and termites.
Ants are a particularly important food source for woodpeckers, especially in the spring when other food sources may be scarce. The pileated woodpecker, for instance, is known to feed extensively on carpenter ants, drilling large holes in trees to reach their colonies. In addition to ants, woodpeckers also consume other types of bugs, such as spiders, mealworms, and caterpillars.
While insects form a significant part of their diet, woodpeckers are also known to be opportunistic and adaptable feeders, consuming a variety of other food sources depending on availability. They have been observed feeding on fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, and even human food scraps. Some woodpeckers, like the acorn woodpecker, are known to store food, hiding away nuts and acorns for later consumption.
Woodpeckers are also attracted to tree sap, which provides them with additional nutrients. They may drill holes in trees to access the sap directly or take advantage of wells created by sapsucker woodpeckers. These wells attract various insects, providing an additional food source for the woodpeckers.
Overall, woodpeckers are adaptable and opportunistic feeders, with insects, including ants, grubs, and wood-boring bugs, forming an essential part of their diet.
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They also enjoy fruit, berries, and seeds
Woodpeckers are known for their characteristic behaviour and unique ability to peck holes in solid wood. They are among the least picky eaters in the bird family and are highly omnivorous and opportunistic. They are also smart enough to store or hide food for later consumption. For example, the Acorn Woodpecker hides hundreds of acorns each season.
While their trademark tree-drilling is often used to communicate or search for insects, it is also used to reach fruit, berries, and seeds. Woodpeckers will eat oranges, grapes, apples, and sumac seeds. They will also drink nectar and eat peanut butter, peanut pieces, and other nuts.
Woodpeckers are arboreal birds, so they are usually seen clambering around on tree trunks and branches, sometimes upside down. They reach their greatest diversity in tropical rainforests but occur in almost all suitable habitats, including woodlands and savannahs. They can also be found in backyards across the world.
If you want to attract woodpeckers to your backyard, you can use a bird feeder with nuts and seeds, or a homemade nectar made for orioles or hummingbirds. Hopper or tray feeders offer the most room for perching, but smaller species can cling to cage feeders.
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Some species eat small animals, birds' eggs, and carrion
While most woodpeckers are known to feed on insects and other invertebrates living under bark and in wood, some species are highly omnivorous and opportunistic, eating small animals, birds' eggs, and carrion.
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which includes piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. They are found worldwide, except for a few regions. Most species inhabit forests or woodland habitats, although some live in treeless areas like rocky hillsides and deserts. The Gila woodpecker, for instance, has adapted to exploit cacti.
Woodpeckers are known for their characteristic behaviour and unique physiology, especially their beaks and skulls, which enable them to extract food from various sources. They are skilled foragers, capable of finding meals in diverse environments.
Some woodpecker species have a varied diet that includes small animals. They occasionally feed on vertebrate animals like small lizards, frogs, salamanders, and even mice. Larger woodpecker species have been observed preying on the eggs and nestlings of other birds. In some cases, they may consume the brains of baby birds, as evidenced by a video of a Gila woodpecker pecking through the skulls of Mourning Dove chicks.
In addition to small animals, woodpeckers may also scavenge for carrion, or meat that has been killed by another source. While this is not their preferred food, they will consume it opportunistically.
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They obtain water by drinking sap from trees
Woodpeckers are known for their characteristic behaviour and unique appearance. They are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. While their diet varies between species, most are omnivorous and opportunistic, consuming a range of insects, fruits, nuts, sap, and even human scraps.
Among their insect diet, woodpeckers are particularly fond of ants, with some species, like the Northern Flicker, frequently feeding on them. They also eat grubs, spiders, mealworms, and wood-boring bugs. Their long, sticky tongues are specially adapted for extracting insects from tunnels within trees.
In terms of plant-based foods, woodpeckers enjoy fruits, berries, and seeds. They have been observed feeding on oranges, grapes, and apples, and even peanut butter. They also drink tree sap, which provides them with water. This behaviour is especially notable in sapsuckers, which get their name from their habit of drilling rows of holes in trees to access the sap.
While they are capable of obtaining water from sap, woodpeckers also require direct sources of water. They have been known to sip from blossoms and feeders, demonstrating their ability to adapt to available resources.
Additionally, woodpeckers are known to store food for later consumption. For example, the Acorn Woodpecker hides hundreds of acorns each season in holes drilled into trees. This behaviour showcases their intelligence and ability to plan ahead.
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Woodpeckers also eat nuts, including acorns and peanuts
Woodpeckers are known for their characteristic behaviour and are highly adaptable when it comes to their diet. They are among the least picky eaters in the bird family and will eat almost anything available in their habitat. While they are famous for drilling holes in trees to find insects, they also eat nuts, including acorns and peanuts.
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which includes piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. They are found worldwide, except for a few regions like Australia, New Guinea, and Madagascar. Most species inhabit forests or woodlands, although some live in treeless areas like rocky hillsides and deserts. They are mostly arboreal, foraging for food on tree trunks and branches that other birds and animals can't reach.
Woodpeckers are known for their specialised bills, which they use to drill into wood to find insects. However, they also eat a variety of nuts, including acorns and peanuts. The Acorn Woodpecker, for example, hides hundreds of acorns each season in tree crevices, under bark, or in ground holes for later consumption. Similarly, some woodpeckers store peanuts and other nuts in tree crevices for future meals.
Peanuts are a favourite treat for woodpeckers and provide them with a boost of energy. They are attracted to peanut feeders and will often carry peanuts away to cache them for later. Peanut butter is also a popular food item for these birds, and they will eagerly seek it out in bird feeders. Additionally, woodpeckers can be offered a variety of shelled and unshelled nuts, such as almonds and pecans, which they can easily crack open with their strong beaks.
Overall, woodpeckers are opportunistic and adaptable when it comes to their diet, consuming a variety of nuts, insects, fruits, and plant foods to survive in their diverse habitats worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
Woodpeckers are omnivorous and opportunistic eaters. Their diet includes insects, tree sap, fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, eggs, small animals, and carrion.
Woodpeckers eat ants, grubs, spiders, wood-boring bugs, caterpillars, and mealworms.
Woodpeckers are particularly fond of peanuts and peanut butter. They also enjoy oranges, grapes, apples, and marmalade.
