Hairy Woodpeckers in Georgia
When hairy woodpeckers are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.
- Status in Georgia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- March–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 7a–9a
- Nest box
- 1 1/2 in round hole, 6 × 6 in floor, 8–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings
When to expect hairy woodpeckers in Georgia
Hairy Woodpeckers live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward bark beetles and larvae; suet and peanuts at feeders.
Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.
Nesting in Georgia
Across Georgia, hairy woodpeckers typically nest from March–June. Nest site: excavates in dead or living trees with heart rot. Females lay 3–6 eggs, incubate for 11–15 days, and young leave the nest after 28–30 days.
Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.
- Have boxes cleaned and mounted before February — hairy woodpeckers begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
- Use a 1 1/2 in round entrance on a 6 × 6 in floor, mounted 8–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings.
- Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
- Clean out old nests after each brood and again after June.
Native Georgia plants that attract hairy woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover hairy woodpeckers use:
High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.
Early-summer berries.
Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Feeding hairy woodpeckers through the Georgia year
Warier than Downy and more tied to mature trees. Expect visits mainly in colder months, on suet placed near large trunks.
- Best foods: Suet, Shelled peanuts, Black-oil sunflower.
- In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.
Full diet breakdown for hairy woodpeckers · Best feeder for hairy woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are hairy woodpeckers in Georgia year-round?
Yes. Hairy Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Georgia.
When do hairy woodpeckers nest in Georgia?
Nesting in Georgia typically runs March–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–6 eggs, incubated for 11–15 days.
What native plants attract hairy woodpeckers in Georgia?
Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush, Tall goldenrod are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for hairy woodpeckers.
What size birdhouse hole do hairy woodpeckers need?
1 1/2 in round, with a floor of 6 × 6 in mounted 8–20 ft, box packed with wood shavings.
Hairy Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Georgia
Sources
- Hairy Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hairy Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Hairy Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Georgia
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.