Today my Mom rescued a woodpecker! It was frozen in the snow in front of my Grandma's house. She has it in a cage in her basement and says it's coming around. She is planning on getting it back to health and releasing it of course. Anyway, any advice would be much appreciated...I thought Arty might have some words of wisdom. Just generally what to do with it. Thanks in advance!

Bless your Mom Kris! It's been so cold, it wouldn't have been long before it was overcome being in the snow like that. Is she able to see if the little one has been injured at all?

I'll see if I can find any information about what they eat.

I'm going to move this thread to the Wildlife forum.

My guess would be, it will need a suet/insect pellet - I saw some yesterday at a wild bird supply store.

Tell your mom we love her! She's a real good egg!

Found this about feeding PILEATED AND RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS;

Age of these nestlings, all of which were obtained 26 to 28 days after hatching, was determined by inspecting the nests and noting the date of hatching. During the first week after capture, the young were fed a watered mixture of high-protein (34 percent) baby cereal and strained beef every 2 hours during daylight. Nestlings rarely opened their beaks voluntarily for food. They were fed by forcibly inserting the tip of a medicine dropper down their throats and ejecting the watered mixture. Three droppers full, a total of approximately 3 g, constituted one feeding at the beginning.

Quantity of food given and time between feedings were increased progressively for 30 days, until about 8 g were being given three times a day. Each bird was fed until food backed up to the pharynx. Force feeding was discontinued after about 1 month, when all the birds had begun eating meal worms. Some began eating worms within 2 or 3 weeks, but force feeding was continued as a precaution against starvation. Water was always available, but the birds seldom drank. Since the food mixture was moist, it was believed unnecessary to force the birds to take additional water.

It went on to say they fed adults Meal Worms.

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v03...0313-p0316.pdf

I hope he pulls through! Way to go mom!

Thanks everyone I'll make sure she reads the thread!

Thanks for the advice everyone.Woody, as we have named him ,seems to be comming along great.I think the cold was to much for him.His little feet had been frozen to his stomach.
He is now moving both wings,clinging to the cage with both feet and being very vocal when I picked him up to check him over for bite marks or cuts.
Not knowing what he might eat, I put water and wild bird seed in the cage,but will get some meal worms tomorrow as our pet store carries them.
Keeping my fingers crossed that all he needs is some rest and TLC to be able to recover.
I'll try to get some pics tomorrow and keep you updated.

Welcome, I am sure Woody just needs some TLC and food.

He cannot be a baby in mid-winter, and was probably knocked out somehow and left dazed in the freezing weather. We used to rub suet into tree bark for woodpeckers, they used to flock to it. We don't do it anymore because of all the cats running around the neighborhood.