Diet

What do acorn woodpeckers eat?

Acorns stored in granary trees; flying insects.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorus

Spring and summer diet

  • Flying insects

Fall and winter diet

  • Stored acorns

Best feeder foods

  • Suet
  • Peanuts

Lives in family groups that drill thousands of holes in one granary tree to store acorns.

Which feeder works best for acorn woodpeckers →

Where acorn woodpeckers need winter food

Regions where acorn woodpeckers are present in the cold months:

Frequently asked

What do acorn woodpeckers eat?

Acorns stored in granary trees; flying insects.

What is the best food to feed acorn woodpeckers?

Suet, Peanuts.

What do acorn woodpeckers eat in winter?

Stored acorns.

Sources

  1. Acorn Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Acorn Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Acorn Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.