What Do Red-Headed Woodpeckers Eat?

The red-headed woodpecker lives in the eastern United States and can be identified by its trademark crimson head, white breast and black wings. A member of the Melanerpes genus, the red-headed woodpecker is omnivorous and thus finds many sources of food throughout both the plant and animal kingdoms. This woodpecker is one of the few birds that store their food for the winter.

  1. Identification

    • Often people misidentify animals due to common features or human misconceptions about wildlife. This can lead to accidental mistreatment of animals by feeding them incorrectly or feeding them the wrong diet. But red-headed woodpeckers are easy to identify. They have a crimson head, white breast, black wings, black beak and black eyes. They are 7 to 9 inches long with a 14- to 17-inch wingspan. Male and female red-headed woodpeckers are indistinguishable from one another.

    Omnivorous

    • As an omnivorous animal, the red-headed woodpecker consumes both plants and animals. Specifically, the red-headed woodpecker eats insects, spiders, earthworms, bird eggs, small mice, fledgling birds and even adult birds. The plants that grab the red-headed woodpecker's attention range from nuts and seeds to berries and larger fruit.

    Hunting Methods

    • The red-headed woodpecker differs from other woodpeckers in that it does not engage in the hallmark habit of drilling into trees while hunting for insects. Instead, the red-headed woodpecker will find a suitable perch from where it can wait for flying insects to go by. When the woodpecker is lucky enough to see an insect, it will capture them in midflight. The red-headed woodpecker is also known to simply forage on the ground. This is how the woodpecker finds beetles, mice, birds and the vegetable portions of its diet.

    Food Storage

    • One of four species of woodpeckers that store food, the red-headed woodpecker is the only known woodpecker to cover its stored food with tree bark or wood. Often, the woodpecker is storing food for the winter when it engages in this activity. The red-headed woodpecker hides its food in the natural crevices of trees, the artificial crevices of fence posts, under bark or under other man-made items such as shingles. The red-headed woodpecker does not discriminate in what it eats, nor in what it stores. It will store seeds and nuts and sometimes even a live beetle or grasshopper.