Pileated Woodpeckers in Arkansas
When pileated woodpeckers are present in Arkansas, when they nest, which native Arkansas plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6b–8b yard.
- Status in Arkansas
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 6b–8b
When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Arkansas
Pileated Woodpeckers live in Arkansas all year. Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward beetle larvae, sumac and holly fruit.
Humid subtropical, with the Ozark and Ouachita highlands in the northwest and the flat Mississippi Delta in the east.
Nesting in Arkansas
Across Arkansas, pileated woodpeckers typically nest from April–June. Nest site: large excavated cavity in dead trees. Females lay 3–5 eggs, incubate for 15–18 days, and young leave the nest after 24–31 days.
Hot, humid summers; shade nest boxes in the Delta.
- Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Arkansas plants that attract pileated woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Arkansas, these 8 provide food or cover pileated woodpeckers use:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
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.
Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Arkansas year
Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Arkansas's winter: Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time.
Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are pileated woodpeckers in Arkansas year-round?
Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Arkansas.
When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Arkansas?
Nesting in Arkansas typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 15–18 days.
What native plants attract pileated woodpeckers in Arkansas?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in Arkansas that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Arkansas
Sources
- Pileated Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Pileated Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Pileated Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Arkansas
- 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.