Montana · Year-round resident

Pileated Woodpeckers in Montana

When pileated woodpeckers are present in Montana, when they nest, which native Montana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–6a yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus

Status in Montana: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–6a
Range note: Western forests.

When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Montana

Pileated Woodpeckers live in Montana all year — western forests. Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward beetle larvae, sumac and holly fruit.

Continental — Rocky Mountain forest in the west, semi-arid Great Plains in the east.

Nesting in Montana

Across Montana, pileated woodpeckers typically nest from May–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.

Warm, dry summers and a short growing season.

Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as smooth sumac, bur oak, paper birch for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Montana plants that attract pileated woodpeckers

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

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Red-osier dogwood

Cornus sericea · Shrub

White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.

Highbush cranberry

Viburnum trilobum · Shrub

Red fruit persists until late winter when other food is gone.

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis · Tree

Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.

Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Montana year

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

Best foods: Suet.
In Montana's winter: Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws.

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

Frequently asked

Are pileated woodpeckers in Montana year-round?

Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Montana. Western forests.

When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Montana?

Nesting in Montana typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 15–18 days.

What native plants attract pileated woodpeckers in Montana?

Smooth sumac, Bur oak, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Highbush cranberry, Common hackberry are native plants in Montana that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Montana

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove

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.