Spiral In-Shell Peanut Feeder In-shell peanut feeders are a great way to feed peanuts to the woodpeckers, and occasionally blue jays. In my area, woodpeckers, especially the larger ones, have a marked preference for in-shell peanuts compared to shelled peanuts. Perhaps the peanuts tend to be fresher, or the woodpeckers like to work harder for their food... it's a mystery to me, and the birds aren't talking, but the large woodpeckers are all over the in-shell peanuts. I installed the large feeder with a saucer beneath it to make it more comfortable for blue jays but they seem to prefer perching on the vertical surface, but getting the peanuts out of this feeder is a a bit of a challenge for my jays. Chickadees, who are fond of variety in their lives, seem to enjoy this feeder too.