Woodpecker birdfood

8 years ago

A very nice person in New England is feeding Woodpecker bird food exclusively to prevent waste and to attract the most variety of birds to her feeders. I'm finding the best price per pound on the Drs. Foster & Smith website and there's a good one on Amazon. I'm interested in one without corn since I feed a corn mix on the ground. Have you any experience with woodpecker food?

Featured Answer

ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

As for woodpecker to suet basket size ratio, the suet basket can be as big or as small as you like, as long as the bird has a place to cling and prop itself with its tail. For example, a small basket or cage attached to a 4x4 post will accommodate any size of woodpecker. I think the only time you might run into any problems is with hanging suet feeders, even then I don't think the bids would be too picky.

I have to chime in on the tree issue as well.

I live just a few miles east of the Dakota Hogback, the first "noticeable" geologic formation at the western edge of the Great Plains that forms the base of the Rocky Mountains. Historically, the land we inhabit in and around Denver was short grass prairie. Explorers to the region such as Stephen Long and Zebulon Pike lamented the monotony of the landscape, condemning the entire region as "sterile." Colonel Long notably commented on the virtual non existence of trees. Even the ubiquitous cottonwood, which now forms veritable forests along the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers here in Colorado, was a rare site in 1820 when Americans first came here from the east.

Course, now you wouldn't know it. What was once considered a sea of grass is littered with trees. Along riparian corridors that in the past flooded so frequently that seedlings were simply washed away and artificial "urban forests" that have grown as fast as their city homes which gobble up the native landscape at an alarming rate.

I can say that I am not a fan of trees, at least not where they don't belong. Sure eastern hardwood and Western coniferous forests are wonderful, and I spend lots of time in the latter in fact. But here on the prairie, I'll take fields of blue grama over blue spruce any day. Given the chance I would remove every last tree around my house, as sacrilegious as it may be, lol.

Gorgeous pictures by the way! We have a resident great horned owl that shows up around the house, and at one of local reservoirs last week I came across three of them.

I love the sparrows, too. there's so much variety, and if you take the time to appreciate them, they are a lot more than just "little brown jobbies." They come in an amazing variety of colors and patterns. We get a song and white crowned every once in a while, and a little more frequently a spotted towhee will show up. But the only sparrows I regularly see at the feeder is the juncos.

Here's one of the song sparrows that I haven't seen in a while, very uncommon at the house, but very common everywhere else I go lol.

And the white crowned sparrow that was here back in February. Again, I always see them when I go hiking, but very rare at my feeders.

And the towhee that comes around when it snows (sometimes). At the State Park I worked at, these guys are everywhere, probably one of, if not the most, common bird. But, again, getting one at the feeders at the house is a rare treat.

Okay, one last picture.... A vesper sparrow (I think) that was singing at me when I was looking for burrowing owls this past summer (found one of the owls, but it saw me and took off long before I was able to get a picture of it.)

Wait... wasn't this supposed to be about woodpeckers?
Well, here's "Harry" hanging out on my home-made peanut butter log, his favorite food. Sadly, I haven't seen him in over a week after he become a regular visitor for nearly a month, I hope nothing happened to the little guy. Anyways, recently, the downy's, chickadees, and bushtits have been really into the peanut butter as well.

Robins also won't typically come to feeders, though, they might come for (live) meal worms and fruit. I was hiking up in the one canyons west of my house last week and in the gamble oak and juniper scrub there was gobs of them and Townsend's solitaires gorging themselves on the juniper berries. Course, we had almost total crop failure for everything but juniper this year with a late freeze followed by a cold spring, so there's not much else out there for the non-seed eaters.

Comments (37)

ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
The only seeds I have seen the woodpeckers (downy, hairy, and flickers around here) eat is sunflower, and only on rare occasions. Otherwise they pretty much stick to the suet feeders, except the hairy, he loves peanut butter.

I bought some "woodpecker's favorite" suet a while back that was mostly seeds loosely held together with just a little bit of suet as a binder, but they didn't seem to like it as much as the ones with a higher actual suet content.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
Agree with ZachS. They love suet.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
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In my many many years of bird feeding, it's the 'unnamed small round seeds" that get kicked out. I used to put a row of feeders, tube platform and lantern at the edge of a garden that got lettuce and tomatoes in the summer. Every spring I would shovel out easily an inch of wet moldy icky seeds that had been kicked out while they were digging for the seeds they like. so now I only feed black oil sunflower, niger and suet cakes....with a handful of cracked corn tossed out now and then if the going gets hard....deep snow, long snow cover. Sparrows have a purpose, if only as Cooper's hawk food to keep them from murdering the cardinals. It is also my experience that most "new to feeding" bird feeding people mistake everything that isn't a cardinal, blue jay, chickadee or woodpecker as a "sparrow". Gold finches in winter garb are often called sparrows. Pine siskins are often called sparrows, rosy finches are often called sparrows....as are all the native sparrows which are labeled as nuisances. Rochesterroseman, it's pretty cruel to put out feeders and then when birds become dependent on them, take them in. If you have no feeders out, you will have no birds. Either you feed birds, sparrows, starlings and all or you don't. Not feeding because you have sparrows tells me that you have nothing that is favorable for birds other than sparrows, no open water, no fruit bearing trees or shrubs, no dense stands of shrubbery, no evergreens to shelter birds during the winter. and you are feeding seed that doesn't attract the birds you want to see. get some place for the birds to hide, feed a variety of foods....and wait. You can't expect to put out some suet and sunflower seed and a week later see cardinals and woodpeckers. It takes weeks and in some cases months for the birds to find the food source. Feeding the birds is fun....keep trying! They will bring a lot of joy to your winter days....and if you feed in the summer too, your winter population will be larger.
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Wendy
8 years ago
I tried to feed the woodpeckers for years, with complete failure. This is what has worked......I mix all the bird food in a large tin garbage can and use a hanging tray feeder. I think making sure that the feeder stays filled is a huge deal. You have to be consistent. The red breasted eat from the tray feeder, along with the cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, etc. They love the peanuts. The downy woodpeckers eat from the suet feeders.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked Wendy
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks to ZachS and nicholsworth I've come to realize I don't need to buy expensive Woodpecker blends/mixes. I just need to be consistent with good peanut suet because I'm also trying to attract the Carolina wren and the Robin.

Wendy, thank you for your experience here also. Suet it is.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
P.S. I love all 3 of you to pieces and wish you the very best in 2016.
Wendy
8 years ago
You're very welcome and the same to you.

Just a note.....the big red breasted woodpeckers would need a large suet feeder. They are petty big birds. But, I've never see one eat from my suet feeders, just the tray feeder.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked Wendy
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
I've seen red bellied woodpeckers on my suet basket (5"square?). It's attached to a post & is sturdy. Not as often as the hairy & downy ones though. Don't have woodpecker pics on this phone but I'll post a pic I took in my backyard. Happy birdwatching!
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
nicholsworth, that is a FABULOUS picture. I want one of those.

Thank you.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Was really fun to take it. These animals know me & don't freak when I'm near. Was about 4-5 ft away. Took pics. Backed away & it was still there & didn't fly off. We have pileated woodpeckers too. Haven't seen them eat suet. So funny - they land in my compost pile and fling stuff around.
Wendy
8 years ago
I've only heard the owls here. I've never actually seem one. Probably not wooded enough. We are more deck bird watchers in a residential area. So, this is what we get.....

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Wendy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
One of the funniest thing to happen with birds in our yard......we have a tiny little pond. One morning my son went to let the dogs out and I hear him calling me. There was a duck couple in the pond. I don't know what they were thinking. They flew off, but it was cute.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
You've got a great selection. Our neighborhood is wooded and we live close enough to walk to Eagle Creek Park. (Indianapolis) really is the perfect spot for birdwatching.
Wendy
8 years ago
Yes, we do okay....but, it isn't owls. It really is a great pic. I wish I saw them like that.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
Wendy, that sleepy sparrow in the burrow's tail is killing me. What a cutie. I am copying that picture and nicholsworth's owl for sure.

I live in Southeastern Michigan in a large stand of mostly oak and maple trees that are about 200 years old. I'll be 75 in March and i am passionate about our trees and birds. When somebody moves into the area and starts taking down the old trees I go bezerk. Did they view the house at night? Big storms are challenging for us but people are dangerous.
Wendy
8 years ago
See you later, Nicholsworth.

I hear you on the trees, Pat. Right now, our issue is we have Ash trees and those ash beetles.

I don't think many people really like the sparrows. They aren't the flashiest or prettiest, but I adore them. They keep me entertained for hours zipping past the windows and around the deck. I love when I go out to feed them and I see them rustling around in the shrubs. And, they are always chattering on about something.

It snowed yesterday, so today we have the juncos. So cute.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked Wendy
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
ZachS - if I chopped down my trees where would my owl sit? haha No seriously humans are trashing the earth. But Pat and I have desirable hardwood trees and love them. Prairies r beautiful too.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
dbarron
8 years ago
Black oil sunflower seeds (and of course suet) both seem to appeal to woodpeckers during cold periods. I've had downies, hairies, and red bellies all eating sunflower seeds. Suet is definitely tastier to them, but they do eat the sunflower seeds too.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked dbarron
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
Just proves what the Cornell Ornithology Lab and every birder I know says: black oiled sunflower seeds (BOSS) is preferred by the largest variety of birds. I think that is why I am now only feeding BOSS and peanut suet in my feeders. Anything else is a waste of money for anybody on a fixed income. Even my welcomed native sparrows (NOT the invasive House Sparrows) are eating my BOSS on the ground, and I am hoping to attract the Carolina Wrens that were here last year, with my 2 peanut suet feeders also.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
I have found that safflower also is a good seed for attracting many species. We feed almost all safflower and for my Christmas Bird Count this year I tallied over 20 species at our feeder over 4 hours.

I have tried adding black sunflower, but it doesn't seem to bring in anything other than what we've already got.

As an added bonus, the safflower is not preferred by black birds, starlings or squirrels, so, unless they are really strapped for other food, they tend to stay away.

Another good seed, Pat, is nyjer or thistle seed in specialty finch feeders. We get a lot of lesser goldfinches, and regularly see a small number of American goldfinches and pine siskins at our nyjer feeder. We don't have redpols here, but they reportedly love it as well. The house finches love it when I scatter a few handfuls on the ground, and every once in a while they will use the mesh feeder with the g-finches. The juncos also enjoy the little bit I put on the ground.

I would like to try a good quality mix with white millet to bring in more sparrows, but I am concerned that it would bring in the house sparrows. After many years of never seeing a single one at our feeder, I have seen a juvenile and an adult male on a few separate occasions this winter.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
ZachS, when i put out a mix with the white and red millet, I not only attracted the native sparrows that i wanted, but, yes, the House Sparrows came in great numbers. So I stopped. And, yes, I know about Safflower seed. I fed it last year with success from the squirrels, but did not know if it would attract all the same birds as the BOSS. I did discover that Lowe's carries the Audubon BOSS/Safflower blend, so I am thinking of trying that when next. I do remember appreciating having one or two feeders exclusively with safflower. Too bad it's not as inexpensive as BOSS.

I'm going to forego the Nyjer since all my finches seem to love the BOSS and I'm trying to be frugal to impress my husband. I appreciate your comments very much and will definitely get more safflr.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Pat - Not a bird but a fun pic. My squirrel Nutty eating breakfast.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yeah, safflower is more expensive, and we have so many house finches and collard doves that I doubt we save any money by excluding black birds, starlings and squirrels. Though, I do put out corn for the squirrels, because they don't bother me unless they are eating from the feeders to be honest.

Safflower is also reportedly the most favorite food of cardinals. Again, we don't get those guys this far west, so I cant speak from experience but I'm sure you get them! Of course they probably come to the sunflower just fine anyways.

That's very cool that your finches eat the sunflower. The only ones that eat it at my house are the house finches. The others, gold finches and pine siskins, ONLY eat the nyjer. Unless you count Maximilian, or perennial, sunflowers. They like the seed heads I leave standing in the garden for them. But they have tiny seeds, more like echinacea than BOSS or striped sunflower seeds.

I love "Nutty," Nicholsworth! How funny he eats right from the jar! I saw an Abert's squirrel the other day, not at my house, they live up in the high county. But it was nice since I haven't seen one of those guys in many, many years! Mostly just pine squirrels like this guy, who was literally "barking" at me through a mouthful of Douglas fir!
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Wendy
8 years ago
Robins were mentioned earlier back. Thought I would share what was on my deck this morning. Don't know why they haven't gone south. Only got a pic of the one. There is a pair of them

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dbarron
8 years ago
There are several subspecies of robins, and not all are migratory...even into southern Canada.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
ZachS - Love your photos. Love the Pine squirrel. Lighter coloring and seems smaller than the kind we get. Nutty is fun. Once I was sitting on my garden seat & he put his front paws on my thigh & stretched his face up towards me like "Hi! I'm here. See me. Nuts?" started eating from the jar because he couldn't wait for me to pour them out
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
ZachS, okay, because you were the most recent person recommending Safflower bird food to me, I went out today and bought some just to get started (I mean, talk about obsessive -- I never go out on Saturday to shop) and then ordered 50 pounds for about $64 delivered freeto my front door from Home Depot . That was the best deal I could find, so I went with it. So far my Cardinals remember that they liked Saff. here last year, some of the other birds aren't sure yet (only put it out this afternoon for goodness sake), and the doves are delighted with it even tho' I have a mixed ground food with BOSS and corn for them, the squirrels, snow birds, native sparrows, etc. We'll see how it goes tomorrow and on.

I have a squirrel who scratches on my front window when he needs more food. Where did I go wrong. I do love the pesky squirrels when they are on the ground, not in my feeders. Found out today that my 2 serious bird-feeding neighbors do not feed safflower, so I am very happy to offer something different in my yards. Thank you, ZachS, I think.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
Thank you Nicholsworth! We definitely get the big, orange/gray fox squirrels here, too. But, I don't like them as much as the pine and Abert's squirrels (the Abert's are black or gray, with tufted ears like a lynx, beautiful little critters) and the pine squirrels are LOUD! Much smaller, but MUCH louder than the fox squirrels.

I hope the safflower works out well for you Pat! I will keep putting the BOSS out through the spring/early summer to see if it attracts any of the migrators, but like I said, so far, it is on equal footing with the safflower for speices attracted and preference. I was also at the bird seed place this afternoon, BOSS was only 2-3 dollars cheaper than safflower, though, if I buy it at Home Depot or somewhere it will probably be a bigger difference.

They also had a bag of just white proso millet which I picked up. It's fairly inexpensive (as far as birdseed goes) so I will experiment with it to see if I can get more sparrows, and maybe keep the towhee coming around a little more often.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Pat - Took this pic just now from my family room window...(little fuzzy)...We removed a bad limb & there must be some insects. Planned to remove this tree in the spring but I might want to leave it awhile for woody...I bought safflower too & I love that the squirrels let the birds eat in peace.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
Pat Z5or6 SEMich
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow, nicholsworth, what a great picture. I have a pileated (sp) woodpecker feeder with a tail extension, or whatever it's called, coming from Amazon, tomorrow I think. And I heard the peanut suet cakes that everybody rated highly somewhere, are cheapest at Wal-Mart, so I'll be going there Tuesday morning. I hate Wal-Mart but those suet cakes are important and Amazon's price for the C&A cakes are outrageous. Have 50 pounds of safflower coming from Amazon tomorrow also. Ya-hooo -- and now we have the cold weather we've dreaded and some snow. So I expect action outlside. Everybody seems to really like the safflower and I love the look on the squirrels' faces when they get to the feeders. They have BOSS on the ground and they still climb the feeders -- I don't get it

You guys have a good week.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
Had a little snow last night. Something took our suet basket! Was tied with a strip of t-shirt fabric to a sturdy branch. Squirrels have climbed on it & it was fine I thought. Same thing happened last year & my husband found it in the spring. Had a spare & put this one up with a chain...the birds enjoy it so much I feel guilty if it's not out there...
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
Love the peliated Nicholsworth! Are they really as big as they seem in the pictures?

We had a shot of snow last week as well, but since then it's been bluebird skies so not a whole lot of action at our feeders. However, the beautiful days this weekend made it fun to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and had a chance to see a ton of raptors out at Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR. I also drove down to Santa Fe, and was hoping to check out the Randall Davey Audubon Center while I was there, unfortunately they are closed until February.

Anyways, I switched out the peanut butter on my little aspen log feeder with some stuff called "bark butter." Advertised to be loved by over 125 different species of birds. Seems mine prefer just regular old Kroger brand crunchy peanut butter that is 1/3 the price...

Also, I have started to notice that all the birds at my feeders significantly prefer safflower to BOSS. They wont hardly touch the sunflower seed feeders, but I have to refill the safflower ones pretty frequently. Perhaps we have just habituated them to safflower over the years.

The millet experiment is also going well. The song sparrow shows up more often and the juncos absolutely love it. Even the white breasted nuthatch was trolling the ground with them. So far I have still only seen the single house sparrow, so that's good.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
The pileated woodpeckers are LARGE. When they fly they catch my eye even if I'm not looking directly out the window. I've had great success with safflower seed. Squirrels are ignoring it and the birds r loving it. Saw my first cardinal eating safflower seeds a couple of days ago. Zach would it work to fill the log feeder with suet? Would it be cheaper than peanut butter? Or do u attract more birds with peanut butter? My suet is pretty popular.
Pat Z5or6 SEMich thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
I would love to see them. I get excited when I see hairy's, they are about the biggest ones we have. Maybe flickers are bigger...

I already have 3 suet feeders, and they are a hit with woodpeckers, chickadees, and the occasional starling, which are not common enough at my feeder for me to put a lot of energy into dissuading them. I put the butter out as something "different." Of course, it pretty much attracts the same birds as suet, but hey, I don't like to eat the exact same thing every day, maybe birds like to switch it up every once in a while, too lol. I did make the switch to the more expensive "bark butter" trying to attract other species, but so far, nothing out of the ordinary. BUT one of the factors is timing, and which birds we actually have in the area in the dead of winter. Much like the sunflower seed, I may end up finding that it is attractive to the migrators and summer birds. I'm not publishing any results based on our limited winter residents ;).
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years ago
I think it's great that you spend time and money to provide a variety of treats for different birds...Look where Nutty was sitting today...that arbor is only about 3 months old...told my husband he better not scratch it haha
User
8 years ago
I feed suet, sunflower, and a treat called "nutsie" - and see them all day long.

Bad pic - but here's a woodpecker eating from my tube feeder and another one eating suet.

woodpecker won this battle lol
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
8 years ago
To be fair, my bird feeders are more like a "bait station" so I can take pictures, lol! We'll, I guess its mutually beneficial, so, no harm no foul right?

Nutty may not scratch it (well he may...) but when they sit up on the deck railing to get peanuts out of the blue jay feeder, they pee all over it. I would rather have scratches to be quite honest.

Neat pictures Mrsshane! Love the face off!