We’re passionate about birds and nature. That’s why we opened a Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop in our community.
3032 Walton Blvd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
Phone: (248) 375-5202
Fax: (248) 375-5219
Email: Send Message
Store Hours:
Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Woodpeckers may be the most aptly named bird around. Given their druthers, they will peck at wood for food – primarily the insects and beetle larvae they find yummy.
So how do their bodies handle all that pounding? They are well equipped! They have two toes that point backward and allow them to cling to tree trunks. They have special stiff tail feathers that support their bodies. Air bubbles in their skulls act as shock absorbers every time they slam a tree trunk with their beak. And their super-sticky tongues reach into the holes they create to dig out the delectable insects.
Of all the woodpeckers that call North America home, only a few regularly visit feeders. Red-bellied, Hairy and Downy woodpeckers are frequent feeder visitors, and all savor suet.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker really doesn’t have a red belly – just a pale rosy tint. This woodpecker is unusual in that it will sample about any food it finds. It eats seeds, fruit and insects and loves acorns when they are available. These woodpeckers use their tongues more than their beaks to find their food.
Downy and Hairy woodpeckers have almost identical markings, although the Hairy Woodpecker is bigger than the Downy Woodpecker by about 2 inches. Hairy Woodpeckers can find their food by feeling the vibrations made by insects moving about in trees or hearing the insects chewing on the wood! They also eat fruit, pinecone seeds and sometimes feed at wells made in trees by sapsuckers or at hummingbird feeders. Downy Woodpeckers like to devour a fly larvae that spends the winter in the woody galls atop goldenrod stems.
All woodpeckers pale in comparison to the incredible Pileated Woodpecker. This enormous bird feeds on insects found primarily in large trees or dead or fallen trees. It makes a characteristic fist-sized hole that’s rectangular in shape with curved edges. And as soon as it is done, other woodpeckers come in to finish the leftovers.
