Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Baby black-backed woodpeckers: from egg to fledgling
A Black-backed Woodpecker lays 2–6 eggs. They hatch after 12–14 days, and the young leave the nest 24–25 days later — about 36–39 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 2–6 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–14 days
- Time in the nest
- 24–25 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 36–39 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Cavity in a fire-killed conifer
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (12–14 days): 2–6 eggs per clutch. Most songbirds start incubating when the last or second-to-last egg is laid, so the young hatch close together; owls and hawks start with the first egg, so their chicks hatch days apart.
- Nestlings (24–25 days): the young hatch with little or no down and their eyes closed. They grow fast on a diet the parents bring in. In the breeding season black-backed woodpeckers mainly eat wood-boring beetle larvae in fire-killed trees.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young black-backed woodpeckers are fully feathered but short-tailed and clumsy. They spend days to weeks on low branches or the ground while the parents keep feeding them.
- More broods: 1 per season.
When black-backed woodpeckers nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in California (Apr) and latest in Alaska (Jun). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Jun–Jul |
| Alberta | Jun–Jul |
| British Columbia | Jun–Jul |
| California | Apr–Jul |
| Colorado | May–Jul |
| Connecticut | May–Jul |
| Idaho | May–Jul |
| Maine | Jun–Jul |
| Manitoba | Jun–Jul |
| Massachusetts | May–Jul |
| Michigan | May–Jul |
| Minnesota | Jun–Jul |
| Montana | Jun–Jul |
| Nevada | May–Jul |
| New Brunswick | Jun–Jul |
| New Hampshire | Jun–Jul |
| New Jersey | May–Jul |
| New York | May–Jul |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Jun–Jul |
| Northwest Territories | Jun–Jul |
| Nova Scotia | Jun–Jul |
| Ontario | Jun–Jul |
| Oregon | May–Jul |
| Pennsylvania | May–Jul |
| Prince Edward Island | Jun–Jul |
| Quebec | Jun–Jul |
| Rhode Island | May–Jul |
| Saskatchewan | Jun–Jul |
| Utah | May–Jul |
| Vermont | Jun–Jul |
| Washington | May–Jul |
| Wisconsin | Jun–Jul |
| Wyoming | Jun–Jul |
| Yukon | Jun–Jul |
Found a baby Black-backed Woodpecker?
- Feathered, hopping, can grip your finger: a fledgling. This is a normal stage. Keep pets and children away and watch from a distance; the parents are usually close by.
- Bare skin or only pin feathers: a nestling that fell. If you can see the nest, put it back. Touching it won't make the parents abandon it — that is a myth.
- Injured, cold, covered in flies, or caught by a cat: contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US and Canada, ahnow.org finds the nearest one.
- Don't give water or food. Baby birds can choke, and the wrong food can kill them.
More about black-backed woodpeckers
Frequently asked
How long do baby black-backed woodpeckers stay in the nest?
About 24–25 days after hatching. Eggs take 12–14 days to hatch, so it is roughly 36–39 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Black-backed Woodpecker lay?
2–6 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do black-backed woodpeckers nest?
Cavity in a fire-killed conifer.
What should I do if I find a baby Black-backed Woodpecker on the ground?
If it has feathers and hops, it is a fledgling and its parents are almost certainly nearby — leave it. If it is naked or has pin feathers, put it back in the nest if you can. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if it is injured.