Woodpecker Feeders

Woodpeckers are among the most dramatic and exciting birds you can attract to your garden — and with the right feeder, they'll visit reliably every day. Our woodpecker feeders are designed around the feeding habits, body size, and food preferences of downy, hairy, red-bellied, and pileated woodpeckers.

What Woodpeckers Eat

  • Suet: The #1 woodpecker food — high-energy rendered fat that woodpeckers seek out year-round, especially in winter
  • Peanuts: Whole peanuts in shell or shelled peanut pieces are irresistible to larger woodpecker species
  • Sunflower seeds: Black oil sunflower seeds attract downy and hairy woodpeckers
  • Mealworms: Dried or live mealworms are eagerly taken by most woodpecker species

Feeder Design Matters for Woodpeckers

  • Tail-prop suet feeders: Extended bottom panels allow woodpeckers to brace their tail while feeding — the natural position they use on tree trunks. This design also deters starlings, which cannot use the tail-prop position.
  • Log feeders: Drilled wooden logs filled with suet or peanut butter mimic natural foraging on dead trees
  • Upside-down suet feeders: Force birds to hang inverted — woodpeckers manage easily, starlings cannot

Placement Tips

  • Attach suet feeders directly to tree trunks or hang close to trees where woodpeckers already forage
  • Place in partial shade — suet melts in direct summer sun

Shop our full range of woodpecker feeders and suet cages — and bring these spectacular birds to your garden.