Pileated Woodpeckers in Georgia
When pileated 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
When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Georgia
Pileated 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 beetle larvae, sumac and holly fruit.
Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.
Nesting in Georgia
Across Georgia, pileated woodpeckers typically nest from March–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; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.
- Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, american beautyberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Georgia plants that attract pileated woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover pileated woodpeckers use:
High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.
Winter berry-cones and dense roosting cover.
Fall fruit.
Nectar through spring and summer.
Early-summer berries.
Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Georgia year
Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.
Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are pileated woodpeckers in Georgia year-round?
Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Georgia.
When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Georgia?
Nesting in Georgia typically runs March–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 15–18 days.
What native plants attract pileated woodpeckers in Georgia?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, American beautyberry, Coral honeysuckle, Serviceberry, White oak, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Georgia
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 — 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.