Hairy Woodpeckers in Ontario
When hairy woodpeckers are present in Ontario, when they nest, which native Ontario plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canadian zones 0a–7a yard.
- Status in Ontario
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- Canadian zones 0a–7a (southern Ontario roughly equivalent to USDA 4–6)
- 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 Ontario
Hairy Woodpeckers live in Ontario all year. Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches. 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 continental in the south, boreal and subarctic in the north; most backyard birding happens in the southern Great Lakes lowlands.
Nesting in Ontario
Across Ontario, hairy woodpeckers typically nest from May–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.
Short, warm summers; Point Pelee and Long Point are continent-famous migration sites.
- Have boxes cleaned and mounted before April — 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 Ontario plants that attract hairy woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Ontario, these 8 provide food or cover hairy woodpeckers use:
Insects, seeds and cavities.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
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.
Feeding hairy woodpeckers through the Ontario 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 Ontario's winter: Cold, snowy winters; feeder flocks are dominated by chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and finches.
Full diet breakdown for hairy woodpeckers · Best feeder for hairy woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are hairy woodpeckers in Ontario year-round?
Yes. Hairy Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Ontario.
When do hairy woodpeckers nest in Ontario?
Nesting in Ontario typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–6 eggs, incubated for 11–15 days.
What native plants attract hairy woodpeckers in Ontario?
Sugar maple, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Ontario 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 Ontario
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 — Ontario
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas — Birds Canada
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.