Diet
What do red-cockaded woodpeckers eat?
Ants, beetles and larvae from longleaf pine bark.
Woodpeckers (Picidae)Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealis
Spring and summer diet
- Ants, roaches, beetles and wood-boring larvae
Fall and winter diet
- Bark insects and pine seeds
Best feeder foods
- Suet (occasionally, near longleaf pine)
Federally endangered. It excavates cavities in living pines infected with red heart fungus and lives in family groups.
Where red-cockaded woodpeckers need winter food
Regions where red-cockaded woodpeckers are present in the cold months:
Frequently asked
What do red-cockaded woodpeckers eat?
Ants, beetles and larvae from longleaf pine bark.
What is the best food to feed red-cockaded woodpeckers?
Suet (occasionally, near longleaf pine).
What do red-cockaded woodpeckers eat in winter?
Bark insects and pine seeds.
Sources
- Red-cockaded Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-cockaded Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-cockaded 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.