Bird Feeding: Attracting Woodpeckers To Your Bird Feeders

As September flies by, summer's natural abundance will drop off for all of our favorite birds and we prepare for autumn feeding. With their flashes of red, yellow and white, woodpeckers always make a great impression hanging at all angles from your feeders.

Woodpeckers are a wide ranging group that can be found just about all over the world (sorry Australia and Hawaii). Here in North America they can be found in forests, swamps, deserts, and best of all, in your yard.

You can attract these guys using seed feeders you already have. Woodpeckers are clinging birds and really like to perch on the sides of mesh and wooden feeders but they will also hang on regular perches if they see something that looks good. They love black oil, shelled sunflower, all varieties of nuts and even unshelled peanuts. Try putting out pumpkin seeds as well. Your woodpeckers will love you for it!

If there is one thing these guys love, it is suet! You can feed a variety of different suet in pre-made blocks or by mixing it yourself and applying it in hollow feeders or spread on trees. If you are afraid of squirrels getting at it you can buy special suet with cayenne pepper in it. Personally, I have had quite a few customers tell me that squirrels will stay away from the pure suet since there are no tasty nuts or fruit in it. The woodpeckers will still love eating it and it's a great source of energy during the colder winter months. If you are feeding these guys in warmer states, make sure to get "no-melt" suet that remains solid in temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. C & S Products suet are almost all "no-melt".

I recommend suet to a lot of our customers right now because of the high seed prices. It is relatively cheap and feeds the birds for quite a while. As an example, I feed my 5 usual woodpeckers plus chickadees, nuthatches and any other guests from 2 suet ball feeders. I can fill those for $6.50 each and have them last easily 4-6 weeks. It is pretty economical considering I have a bird or two on it all day everyday!

Having a lot of mature trees in the neighborhood is a huge plus in getting these guys to your feeders. Woodpeckers will use these trees to drill holes for nesting as well as looking for insect grub during the spring and summer. You can get nesting boxes specially made for woodpeckers as well but they also may appeal to other bird species like screech owls. You may have to keep guard for unintended residents.

If you are lacking some animated little flyers in your yard or just want to increase the frequency of their visits then the above tips and some quality bird supplies should get you results in no time.

Crinda Anderson - Owner, For the Wild Birds
Bellevue, NE

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