Woodpecker Nesting
and Feeding Habits

By Richard Worden

If you live near a forest or park, you've probably encountered (i.e., heard) a woodpecker. With their iconic appearance and curious lifestyle, they are truly unlike any other bird out there. If you're interested in woodpecker nesting and feeding habits, you've come to the right place.

Woodpeckers are well-known for their wood-pecking behavior. Woodpeckers carve their nests into the sides of trees, but they also peck wood to source insects like termites and ants from the bark of trees. Most woodpecker species don't reuse their nests and instead make new ones every year.

The rest of this article will tell you all you need to know about woodpecker nesting and feeding habits to better understand these cute little birds. Read on to learn more.

Woodpecker Nesting Habits

Woodpeckers are quite well known for their nesting patterns. In fact, woodpecker nesting habits actually contribute to their name.

Woodpeckers are named after their famous habit of latching onto a tree and pecking at the bark with their beak, creating that perpetual knocking sound you’ll often hear in most of North America’s wooded areas. While this is often because these birds like to search for insects living in the tree bark, it can also mean they are carving out a nest for their young.

Let’s explore woodpecker nesting habits in a little more detail.

What Do Woodpecker Nests Look Like?

If you live in a region that hosts woodpeckers, you’ve probably heard them making a nest. That incessant knocking sound in your backyard can very well mean that a woodpecker is carving out a space inside the tree to house its young. But what exactly do these nests look like?

Woodpecker nests look like small circular or oval-shaped holes. They are known for carving these cavities out to provide a safe place to raise their young. These nests are high up on tree trunks, safe from predators.

These nests are big enough for a woodpecker to enter but not predators like raccoons. The size of woodpecker nests varies from species to species.

Do Woodpeckers Return to the Same Nest?

Since they put so much work into carving out a nest cavity for their babies, you might wonder whether woodpeckers ever return to the same nest. The answer might surprise you.

Most woodpeckers do not return to the same nest. While some species of woodpeckers may reuse their nesting holes, most of them do not. Typically, woodpeckers will create a new nest every spring.

The red-headed woodpecker is one type that often reuses its nesting cavities over the span of multiple seasons.

What Time of Year Do Woodpeckers Lay Eggs?

Usually, when you think of birds laying eggs, you think of spring. This season is the time of year to embrace the joy of new life, as many animals tend to reproduce during these months. Do woodpeckers follow similar breeding patterns?

Woodpeckers lay their eggs in the spring and late summer. The most common egg-laying months for most woodpecker species are April, May, June, and July.

A woodpecker can lay anywhere from 3 to 10 eggs per clutch, the average being about 6 to 7 eggs.

Where Do Woodpeckers Make Their Nests?

Now that we’ve talked a bit about woodpecker nesting habits, you might be wondering where to spot one yourself. Where do woodpeckers make their nests?

Woodpeckers make their nests in cavities they carve high up in tree trunks. They are usually found in woodland areas, surrounded by many trees to serve as sources for both nests and food. They live on all continents except Antarctica and Australia.

If you want to spot a woodpecker nest, try searching areas with many trees, and listen carefully for the sound of knocking against wood.

How Long Do Woodpeckers Stay in Their Nests?

Woodpeckers stay in their nests year-long for shelter. However, after hatching from their eggs, baby woodpeckers only remain in their nests for up to three weeks before leaving the nest and living on their own.

It is common for many woodpecker species to only use one nesting cavity per year. This means that they create new nests after abandoning the old ones. While some species, like the red-haired woodpecker, reuse their nests, this is not as typical.

Do Woodpeckers Nest in Winter?

So we’ve established that woodpeckers usually raise their young in the spring. But do these birds nest in winter?

Woodpeckers do nest in winter. While they won’t be raising any young during these months, they do like to create nests specifically for roosting to serve as shelter from the elements.

Some species of woodpeckers migrate south when it gets cold, while others like to stay in the same region. Woodpeckers usually live in solitude in the winter, responsible for their own nests since they aren’t paired up for breeding, which takes place in the spring.

Do Woodpeckers Have More Than One Nest?

Woodpeckers have more than one nest. Most woodpecker species carve a new nest when it’s time to raise a new clutch of eggs. Some woodpeckers also migrate south in the winter, so they often carve roosting nests in other places.

It is uncommon for woodpeckers to live in one nest for their entire lives. Again, some species do reuse their nests, but even then, they only do so a few times before carving out a new one somewhere else.

Woodpecker Feeding Habits

Now that we’ve discussed woodpecker nesting habits, let’s explore their feeding habits.

Another reason why woodpeckers are so iconic is because of their unique feeding patterns. While that beautiful knocking sound in the woods might be because a woodpecker is carving out a new nesting cavity, the more common reason is a simple food search.

Woodpeckers are famous because they use their beaks to peck into trees to find insects to eat. They like to eat a variety of different foods, feed at different times of day, and know what the best foods are for their young.

Let’s explore some of these woodpecker feeding habits in greater detail.

What Is a Woodpecker’s Favorite Food?

Woodpeckers are famed for their — well, wood-pecking. But what exactly are they searching for when they do this? Do they have favorite foods?

A woodpecker’s favorite foods are nuts and seeds, fruits, nectars and saps, and insects that can be found living inside trees. These insects include ants, caterpillars, beetles, grubs and larvae, termites, spiders, and more.

These things can usually be sourced from trees, which they rely upon for shelter and food.

What Time of Day Do Woodpeckers Feed?

Woodpeckers are quite active birds who spend their days working hard to carve nests and collect food. What time of day do woodpeckers usually feed?

The time of day woodpeckers feed is whenever there is light present, usually once in the morning and again in the evening. They are active from sunrise to sunset, working hard to find food for themselves or their young.

Woodpeckers rely on lighting to tell the time, and they don’t usually feed when it’s really dark.

What Do Woodpeckers Feed Their Young?

Woodpeckers feed their young the same things adults eat, but smaller. For the most part, baby and adult woodpeckers share a similar diet, with the young eating small fruits, berries, nuts, and insects.

Mother woodpeckers provide their young with foods high in protein, primarily insects like tree-dwelling larvae and worms.

Woodpecker Nesting and Feeding Habits...
Conclusion

Woodpecker nesting and feeding habits are unique to this species. They rely on the trees they nest in to provide shelter and food and use their beaks to peck for food and chisel out nests.

Hopefully, this article has helped you better understand the lifestyle patterns of these remarkable birds.

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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