Delaware · Year-round resident

Pileated Woodpeckers in Delaware

When pileated woodpeckers are present in Delaware, when they nest, which native Delaware plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–8a yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus

Status in Delaware: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 7a–8a

When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Delaware

Pileated Woodpeckers live in Delaware all year. Mild winters with modest snow; coastal marshes draw huge numbers of wintering sparrows and blackbirds. 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 to temperate coastal plain between Delaware Bay and the Atlantic.

Nesting in Delaware

Across Delaware, 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; bay-shore woodlots are important migrant stopovers in May.

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 Delaware plants that attract pileated woodpeckers

Of the regional native plants we track for Delaware, these 8 provide food or cover pileated woodpeckers use:

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.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Delaware year

Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.

Best foods: Suet.
In Delaware's winter: Mild winters with modest snow; coastal marshes draw huge numbers of wintering sparrows and blackbirds.

Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers

Frequently asked

Are pileated woodpeckers in Delaware year-round?

Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Delaware.

When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Delaware?

Nesting in Delaware 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 Delaware?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Black cherry are native plants in Delaware that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Delaware

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren 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 Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin 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 White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow

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.