Diet
What do downy woodpeckers eat?
Insects and larvae picked from bark and weed stems, plus seeds and suet.
Spring and summer diet
- Beetle larvae and ants
- Caterpillars and gall insects
Fall and winter diet
- Insect larvae in goldenrod galls and bark
- Suet, peanuts and sunflower at feeders
Best feeder foods
- Suet
- Shelled peanuts
- Black-oil sunflower
- Hulled sunflower
The smallest North American woodpecker and the most frequent at feeders. A tail-prop suet feeder gives them a natural feeding posture.
Where downy woodpeckers need winter food
Regions where downy woodpeckers are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do downy woodpeckers eat?
Insects and larvae picked from bark and weed stems, plus seeds and suet.
What is the best food to feed downy woodpeckers?
Suet, Shelled peanuts, Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower.
What do downy woodpeckers eat in winter?
Insect larvae in goldenrod galls and bark; Suet, peanuts and sunflower at feeders.
Sources
- Downy Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Downy Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Downy Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
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.