Pennsylvania · Year-round resident

Black-backed Woodpeckers in Pennsylvania

When black-backed woodpeckers are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticus

Status in Pennsylvania: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 5a–7b

When to expect black-backed woodpeckers in Pennsylvania

Black-backed Woodpeckers live in Pennsylvania all year. Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.

Nesting in Pennsylvania

Across Pennsylvania, black-backed woodpeckers typically nest from May–July. Plan around that window: April for setup, July for clean-out.

Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.

Black-backed Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, white oak, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Pennsylvania plants that attract black-backed woodpeckers

Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover black-backed woodpeckers use:

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns and insects.

New England aster

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae · Perennial

Fall seed.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Feeding black-backed woodpeckers through the Pennsylvania year

Top foods: Suet (rarely, near burned forest).
In Pennsylvania's winter: Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state.

Full diet breakdown for black-backed woodpeckers · Best feeder for black-backed woodpeckers

Frequently asked

Are black-backed woodpeckers in Pennsylvania year-round?

Yes. Black-backed Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Pennsylvania.

When do black-backed woodpeckers nest in Pennsylvania?

Nesting in Pennsylvania typically runs May–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract black-backed woodpeckers in Pennsylvania?

Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Bur oak, American elderberry are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for black-backed woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Fox Sparrow American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Hooded Merganser Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo White-eyed Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-billed Cuckoo Bobolink Rock Pigeon

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.