Pileated Woodpeckers in Illinois

Pileated Woodpeckers live in Illinois all year. Cold, windy winters in the north; the southern tip is milder and hosts more wintering species. 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 continental, grading from the Lake Michigan shore and prairie north to the forested Shawnee Hills in the south.

Across Illinois, 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; much of the state is farmland, so backyard native plantings matter.

• 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.

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

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

• Best foods: Suet.
• In Illinois's winter: Cold, windy winters in the north; the southern tip is milder and hosts more wintering species.

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