Attract this bird

How to attract downy woodpeckers to your yard

Downy Woodpeckers respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 60 states and provinces.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

First: is it in your area, and when?

You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. The Downy Woodpecker is a year-round resident in 60 states and provinces, including Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Arkansas, British Columbia, California and 54 more — there, a yard can host it in every season.

See the Downy Woodpecker in your state →

Plant what downy woodpeckers use

These native plants are tied to the Downy Woodpecker in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.

Plant	Type	States	Why it helps
American elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Shrub	42	Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	42	Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	39	Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
White oak Quercus alba	Tree	37	Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30	Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Spicebush Lindera benzoin	Shrub	30	Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Arrowwood viburnum Viburnum dentatum	Shrub	29	Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	29	Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae	Perennial	27	Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Tall goldenrod Solidago altissima	Perennial	26	Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, tree, perennial). Layering matters: mixing shrub, tree, perennial gives downy woodpeckers food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.

Offer the food it actually eats

Insects and larvae picked from bark and weed stems, plus seeds and suet.

Warm months: Beetle larvae and ants; Caterpillars and gall insects
Cold months: Insect larvae in goldenrod galls and bark; Suet, peanuts and sunflower at feeders
At feeders: Suet, Shelled peanuts, Black-oil sunflower, Hulled sunflower

Feeder style matters as much as food: suet cage or log feeder is the first choice for this bird. The smallest North American woodpecker and the most frequent at feeders. A tail-prop suet feeder gives them a natural feeding posture. Feeder guide →

Full seasonal diet →

Give it a place to nest

Natural site: Excavates its own cavity in dead wood; uses roost boxes in winter.

The Downy Woodpecker uses nest boxes with a 1 1/4 in round entrance, mounted 5–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings. Exact box dimensions →

Clutch: 3–8 eggs
Incubation: 12 days
Nestling period: 18–21 days
Broods per year: 1 per season

Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Alabama but not until May in Yukon. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.

Water, safety and patience

A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; residents usually find a stocked yard first.

Frequently asked

What attracts downy woodpeckers to a yard?

Food they actually eat (suet, shelled peanuts, black-oil sunflower), native plants such as American elderberry, Black cherry, Serviceberry, clean water and suitable nesting cover: excavates its own cavity in dead wood; uses roost boxes in winter.

What plants attract downy woodpeckers?

Across the Downy Woodpecker's range, the native plants most often tied to it are American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Black cherry (Prunus serotina), Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), White oak (Quercus alba), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Choose the ones native to your state.

When should I set up my yard for nesting downy woodpeckers?

Nesting starts around March in Alabama and as late as May in Yukon. Have cover, water and nest boxes ready a month before.

Sources

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.