New York · Year-round resident

Pileated Woodpeckers in New York

When pileated woodpeckers are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus

Status in New York: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b

When to expect pileated woodpeckers in New York

Pileated Woodpeckers live in New York all year. Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important. 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 cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, 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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as winterberry, arrowwood viburnum, eastern white pine for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native New York plants that attract pileated woodpeckers

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

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Winter fruit.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

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.

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.

Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the New York year

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

Best foods: Suet.
In New York's winter: Long, snowy winters upstate; lake-effect snow belts make feeders and roost boxes important.

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

Frequently asked

Are pileated woodpeckers in New York year-round?

Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in New York.

When do pileated woodpeckers nest in New York?

Nesting in New York 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 New York?

Winterberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay 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 Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll 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 Canada Jay 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.