When do red-headed woodpeckers arrive in Pennsylvania?
The Red-headed Woodpecker is a summer breeder in Pennsylvania — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Red-headed Woodpecker timing in Pennsylvania
- Arrives
- Around April
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- May–July
- Present roughly
- April–August
In Pennsylvania, red-headed woodpeckers are present through the warm months, arriving around April and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Pennsylvania sits in the middle part of this species' range, so timing here tracks the continental average closely. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when red-headed woodpeckers are expected in Pennsylvania. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before April is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early April — the first red-headed woodpeckers into Pennsylvania are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around May, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What red-headed woodpeckers eat while they're here
- Flying insects and beetles
A declining open-woodland species that visits yards with large dead limbs left standing.
Full Red-headed Woodpecker diet guide → · Best feeder for red-headed woodpeckers →
Native plants that hold red-headed woodpeckers in Pennsylvania
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Pennsylvania-native plants are known to attract red-headed woodpeckers:
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do red-headed woodpeckers arrive in Pennsylvania?
red-headed woodpeckers typically arrive in Pennsylvania around April, with nesting underway by May. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do red-headed woodpeckers leave Pennsylvania?
Most red-headed woodpeckers have left Pennsylvania by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do red-headed woodpeckers stay in Pennsylvania all year?
No — in Pennsylvania the Red-headed Woodpecker is a summer breeder, present roughly April–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before red-headed woodpeckers arrive in Pennsylvania?
Have feeders up and clean by early April — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: flying insects and beetles.
Sources
- Red-headed Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-headed Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-headed Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Pennsylvania
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.