The downy woodpecker is the smallest and yet it is the most common woodpecker in the United States. The Downy Woodpecker is a gorgeous sight in backyards all over North America. In order to attract the downy woodpecker to your home, consider the investment in a quality sunflower feeder. They will continuously come to visit you if you provide these birds with a regular supply of their favorite foods.
Choosing the Right Sunflower Feeder
A wide range of sunflower feeder products are on the market that can work well, but there are a few things to remember before you buy these, in particular for the downy woodpecker.
- This particular woodpecker will dine mostly on insects or black oil sunflower seeds from feeders, but it will do well with suet bird food, too. You can choose both to place in your yard. We recommend both suet and black-oil sunflower seeds for optimal results!
- Keep in mind that the downy woodpecker loves to eat insects. Purchase a bird feeder you can mount near wooded areas so that they have a regular supply of the food they love.
- When these birds create a nest, the male will usually try to create a cavity in dead wood, or dead portions of living trees. If you have an old woodpile, place your bird feeder in this area. These birds can lay between three to eight eggs per clutch.
- The Downy Woodpecker must be close to to its food source and usually that means in a wooded area. Choose a sunflower feeder that hangs from a tree branch or set up a pole nestled into the wooded area for the best results.
Select a feeder that allows the downy woodpecker to cling. These birds are able to hang upside down and they will enjoy a bird feeder that gives them plenty of space to do this. The best food source is suet, sunflower seed, and other food sources such as peanuts, chunky peanut butter, and millet seed. For that reason, make an effort to purchase a sunflower feeder with a suet cage below it. This will keep the Downy Woodpeckers in your yard on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that the downy woodpecker loves to feast on insects in wood or trees. Avoid using chemicals on grasses and in wooded areas that would decrease the availability of insects as this will hold back these woodpeckers from calling your area home. The sunflower feeders will encourage them, but these feeders are unable to take the place of insects within the diet of the birds.