Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Baby gila woodpeckers: from egg to fledgling
A Gila Woodpecker lays 3–5 eggs. They hatch after about 14 days, and the young leave the nest about 28 days later — about 42 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–5 eggs
- Incubation
- about 14 days
- Time in the nest
- about 28 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 42 days
- Broods per year
- 2–3 per season
- Nest
- Cavity in saguaro or trees
- Uses nest boxes
- No
Stage by stage
- Eggs (about 14 days): 3–5 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 (about 28 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 gila woodpeckers mainly eat insects and saguaro fruit.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young gila 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: 2–3 per season. Pairs often start a new nest soon after the first young become independent.
When gila woodpeckers nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in Arizona (Mar) and latest in Nevada (Apr). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Mar–Jul |
| California | Mar–Jul |
| Nevada | Apr–Jul |
| New Mexico | Apr–Jul |
Found a baby Gila 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 gila woodpeckers
Frequently asked
How long do baby gila woodpeckers stay in the nest?
About about 28 days after hatching. Eggs take about 14 days to hatch, so it is roughly 42 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a Gila Woodpecker lay?
3–5 eggs per clutch, with 2–3 per season.
Where do gila woodpeckers nest?
Cavity in saguaro or trees.
What should I do if I find a baby Gila 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.