Hispaniolan woodpeckers are omnivorous, and primarily eat insects, berries, fruits, and plants. Since their source of food is in high trees, this species is rarely seen foraging on the ground; rather, they forage on the sides of tree trunks. They are known to be a crop pest in the Dominican Republic for eating from cacao plants and other fruit producing trees. They are known not to eat the seeds in the cacao plant, but the holes they create can lead to insect damage.