Pileated Woodpeckers in Missouri
When pileated woodpeckers are present in Missouri, when they nest, which native Missouri plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–7b yard.
- Status in Missouri
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–7b
When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Missouri
Pileated Woodpeckers live in Missouri all year. Cold winters with variable snow; ice storms can shut down natural food for days. 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, from the Ozark Plateau in the south to prairie and river floodplains in the north.
Nesting in Missouri
Across Missouri, 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.
- 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 Missouri plants that attract pileated woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Missouri, 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.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
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.
Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Missouri year
Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Missouri's winter: Cold winters with variable snow; ice storms can shut down natural food for days.
Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are pileated woodpeckers in Missouri year-round?
Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Missouri.
When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Missouri?
Nesting in Missouri 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 Missouri?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak are native plants in Missouri that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Missouri
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 — Missouri
- 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.