Diet
What do hairy woodpeckers eat?
Mostly insects dug from wood, including wood-boring beetle larvae; also seeds and suet.
Woodpeckers (Picidae)Hairy WoodpeckerDryobates villosus
Spring and summer diet
- Wood-boring beetle larvae and ants
- Caterpillars and moth pupae
Fall and winter diet
- Bark beetles and larvae
- Suet and peanuts at feeders
Best feeder foods
- Suet
- Shelled peanuts
- Black-oil sunflower
Warier than Downy and more tied to mature trees. Expect visits mainly in colder months, on suet placed near large trunks.
Where hairy woodpeckers need winter food
Regions where hairy woodpeckers are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do hairy woodpeckers eat?
Mostly insects dug from wood, including wood-boring beetle larvae; also seeds and suet.
What is the best food to feed hairy woodpeckers?
Suet, Shelled peanuts, Black-oil sunflower.
What do hairy woodpeckers eat in winter?
Bark beetles and larvae; Suet and peanuts at feeders.
Sources
- Hairy Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hairy Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hairy 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.