Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Baby white-headed woodpeckers: from egg to fledgling
A White-headed Woodpecker lays 3–7 eggs. They hatch after 14 days, and the young leave the nest 26 days later — about 40 days from egg to fledgling.
- Eggs per clutch
- 3–7 eggs
- Incubation
- 14 days
- Time in the nest
- 26 days
- Egg to fledgling
- About 40 days
- Broods per year
- 1 per season
- Nest
- Cavity in a pine snag or stump
- Uses nest boxes
- Yes — 1 1/2 in hole
Stage by stage
- Eggs (14 days): 3–7 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 (26 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 white-headed woodpeckers mainly eat ants, beetle larvae and pine seeds.
- Fledglings: after leaving the nest, young white-headed 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 white-headed woodpeckers nest, state by state
Nesting starts earliest in California (Mar) and latest in British Columbia (May). Months are estimates from regional breeding data shifted for latitude.
| State / province | Nesting season |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | May–Jul |
| California | Mar–Jul |
| Idaho | Apr–Jul |
| Nevada | Apr–Jul |
| Oregon | Apr–Jul |
| Washington | Apr–Jul |
Found a baby White-headed 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 white-headed woodpeckers
Frequently asked
How long do baby white-headed woodpeckers stay in the nest?
About 26 days after hatching. Eggs take 14 days to hatch, so it is roughly 40 days from the last egg to the young leaving.
How many eggs does a White-headed Woodpecker lay?
3–7 eggs per clutch, with 1 per season.
Where do white-headed woodpeckers nest?
Cavity in a pine snag or stump.
What should I do if I find a baby White-headed 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.