What Do Woodpeckers Eat?

What Do Woodpeckers Eat? Woodpeckers are magnificent birds classified under the family Picidae and sub-family Picinae.

These birds are found almost everywhere around the globe except in Madagascar, Australia, New Guinea, the polar regions, and New Zealand.

As suggested by their names, woodpeckers are drilling small holes in trees. These birds mainly feed on insects, nuts, seeds, berries, and sap.

Jump to:

• What Do Woodpeckers Eat?
• Woodpeckers Diet by Types
• What Do White Woodpeckers Eat?
• What Do Bennett's Woodpeckers Eat?
• What Do Ivory-billed Woodpeckers Eat?
• What Do Chestnut Woodpeckers Eat?
• How Do Woodpeckers Hunt?
• When Do Woodpeckers Eat?
• How Often Do Woodpeckers Eat?
• What Eats Woodpeckers?
• Where Do Woodpeckers Fit in the Animal Food Chain?

What Do Woodpeckers Eat?

Type of Woodpecker	Scientific Name	Diet
White Woodpecker	Melanerpes candidus	Seeds, fruits, and insects.
Bennetts Woodpecker	Campethera bennettii	Ants, beetles, and termites.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker	Campephilus principalis	Beetle larvae, arboreal termites, nuts, fruits, grains, and seeds.
Chestnut Woodpecker	Celeus elegans	Ants and termites.
Nuttall’s Woodpecker	Picoides nuttallii	Nuttall’s woodpecker is primarily insectivorous, relying on a diet of ants, beetles, and other small invertebrates found beneath the bark of trees.

Woodpeckers Diet by Types

Over 300 woodpecker species have been described. These birds are further organized into tribes/phylogeny and different genera. This section will sample members from the different phylogenies and look at their habitats.

What Do White Woodpeckers Eat?

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Piciformes	Picidae	Melanerpes	Melanerpes candidus

White woodpeckers commonly dine on seeds, fruits, and insects.

• This species is native to South America. Its range covers Peru, Brazil, and Argentina.
• The white woodpecker is notable for its white underparts and head, with yellow patches on its belly and hindneck.
• This species commonly inhabits wooded savannahs, grassland, and rainforest edges.

Suggested Reading: Puerto Rican Woodpecker

What Do Bennett’s Woodpeckers Eat?

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Piciformes	Picidae	Campethera	Campethera bennettii

Bennett’s woodpeckers mainly feed on insects, particularly ants, beetles, and termites. They will likely be excavating ant nests located underground and scooping them using their specialized tongues.

• Bennett’s woodpecker is found in specific regions in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, and South Africa.
• This type of woodpecker commonly inhabits savannah, shrubland, and inland wetlands.

What Do Ivory-billed Woodpeckers Eat?

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Piciformes	Picidae	Campephilus	Campephilus principalis

The main diet of the Ivory-billed woodpeckers is beetle larvae. They also forage on the ground for insects, mainly arboreal termites. These birds also include nuts, fruits, grains, and seeds in their diet. This eating behavior confirms that these woodpeckers are omnivores.

• The ivory-billed woodpeckers previously inhabited a more significant portion of the southeastern parts of the United States.
• Slightly worrying is that their local population has been reduced due to habitat destruction (extensive logging).
• These woodpeckers are considered the largest in the US. They can grow to lengths of between 45-53 cm, and the average weight is between 450-570 g.
• Their average wingspan has been recorded to be about 78 cm.
• These woodpeckers get their name because they have long, white, chisel-shaped bills.
• The members of this species commonly inhabit forests with large trees. They prefer dying trees because they provide an abundant supply of food.

What Do Chestnut Woodpeckers Eat?

Kingdom	Order	Family	Genus	Species
Animalia	Piciformes	Picidae	Celeus	Celeus elegans

The Chestnut woodpeckers are known to hunt ants and termites for their food.

• The chestnut woodpecker has a wide distribution. Its population has been spotted in Trinidad, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela.
• This woodpecker species is more extensive compared to other members of the genus Celeus.
• Compared to other woodpeckers in its genus, this species, like a yellow-cream-colored woodpecker, has no black markings on its wings and body.
• It sports a dark chestnut brown hue.
• The chestnut woodpecker commonly inhabits forests and edges of streams and lakes.

How Do Woodpeckers Hunt?

When looking for insects, woodpeckers dig/peck rotting, dying, diseased trees or other kinds of trees, which they consider likely spots for their prey. Some species hunt by excavating ant nests.

When Do Woodpeckers Eat?

Woodpeckers are mostly diurnal and will be found foraging for food and eating during daylight hours.

How Often Do Woodpeckers Eat?

How often woodpeckers eat depends on many factors, including age and their stage of development.

• For instance, nestlings feed more frequently to sustain their growth needs. The birds in the molting stage feed more frequently, as well.
• They spend more time resting and feeding because the process of creating new feathers requires more energy, which they can address by having a little extra to eat.

What Eats Woodpeckers?

Woodpeckers are vulnerable to predators who consider them a vital delicacy. Some of the organisms that hunt woodpeckers include some owl species, falcons, hawks, red foxes, raccoons, flying squirrels, and some snakes.

Where Do Woodpeckers Fit in the Animal Food Chain?

Woodpeckers are essential to the animal food chain as prey and predators.

• In their role as prey, they provide food to many organisms, thus promoting survival.
• As predators, woodpeckers help regulate the local population of the different kinds of insects they feed on. In essence, they promote the existence of a balance in their ecosystem.

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Bio Explorer. (2026, January 28). What Do Woodpeckers Eat?. https://www.bioexplorer.net/what-do-woodpeckers-eat.html/

Copy Key References

• “Woodpeckers”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.
• “White Woodpecker – Introduction | Neotropical Birds Online”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.
• “Campethera bennettii (Bennett’s woodpecker)”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.
• “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.
• “ADW: Campephilus principalis: INFORMATION”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.
• “Chestnut Woodpecker – Introduction | Neotropical Birds Online”. Accessed October 28, 2019. Link.

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