Acorn Woodpeckers in Texas

Acorn Woodpeckers live in Texas all year — trans-Pecos and Edwards Plateau. Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward stored acorns.

Humid subtropical in the east and along the Gulf, semi-arid to arid in the west; long, hot summers and short, mild winters over most of the state.

Across Texas, acorn woodpeckers typically nest from March–June. Nest site: cavity in live or dead trees, shared by the group. Females lay 3–7 eggs, incubate for 11–14 days, and young leave the nest after 30–32 days.

Afternoon highs regularly exceed 95°F — nest boxes need shade or light-colored, ventilated construction, and water matters as much as food.

• Acorn Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as live oak, white oak, bur oak for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Of the regional native plants we track for Texas, these 4 provide food or cover acorn woodpeckers use:

Lives in family groups that drill thousands of holes in one granary tree to store acorns.

• Best foods: Suet, Peanuts.
• In Texas's winter: Hard freezes are brief outside the Panhandle, so most feeder birds face heat and drought stress more than cold.

Full diet breakdown for acorn woodpeckers · Best feeder for acorn woodpeckers