This finch feeds mainly on insects, foraging on tree trunks and vines, and using its large bill to lever open likely hiding places, probe dead leaves, and crush twigs and tree fern stems. It will strip bark in a search for scale insects.
The finch mainly eats insects, scouring tree trunks and vines for food, employing its large beak to pry open potential hiding places, examine dead leaves, and break apart twigs and tree fern shoots. In the process, it searches for scale insects on tree bark.