Prince Edward Island · Year-round resident

Black-backed Woodpeckers in Prince Edward Island

When black-backed woodpeckers are present in Prince Edward Island, when they nest, which native Prince Edward Island plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 4b–5b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Black-backed WoodpeckerPicoides arcticus

Status in Prince Edward Island: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 4b–5b

When to expect black-backed woodpeckers in Prince Edward Island

Black-backed Woodpeckers live in Prince Edward Island all year. Snowy winters with sea ice offshore. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid continental moderated by the Gulf of St. Lawrence; mostly farmland and mixed woods.

Nesting in Prince Edward Island

Across Prince Edward Island, black-backed woodpeckers typically nest from June–July. Plan around that window: May for setup, July for clean-out.

Mild summers.

Black-backed Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern white pine, paper birch, sugar maple for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Prince Edward Island plants that attract black-backed woodpeckers

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

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seed-rich cones and year-round shelter.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Sugar maple

Acer saccharum · Tree

Hosts hundreds of caterpillar species; spring flowers draw early insects.

Red maple

Acer rubrum · Tree

Among the first spring bloomers; early insects for returning migrants.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Black spruce

Picea mariana · Tree

Persistent cones in boreal bogs.

Feeding black-backed woodpeckers through the Prince Edward Island year

Top foods: Suet (rarely, near burned forest).
In Prince Edward Island's winter: Snowy winters with sea ice offshore.

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

Frequently asked

Are black-backed woodpeckers in Prince Edward Island year-round?

Yes. Black-backed Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Prince Edward Island.

When do black-backed woodpeckers nest in Prince Edward Island?

Nesting in Prince Edward Island typically runs June–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 2–6 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract black-backed woodpeckers in Prince Edward Island?

Eastern white pine, Paper birch, Sugar maple, Red maple, Chokecherry, Balsam fir, White spruce, Black spruce are native plants in Prince Edward Island that provide food or cover for black-backed woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Prince Edward Island

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Purple Finch American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay American Crow Common Raven Sharp-shinned Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Scarlet Tanager Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Cliff Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Rusty Blackbird 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.