Pileated Woodpeckers in Northwest Territories
When pileated woodpeckers are present in Northwest Territories, when they nest, which native Northwest Territories plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 0a–1a yard.
- Status in Northwest Territories
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- Canada 0a–1a
When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Northwest Territories
Pileated Woodpeckers live in Northwest Territories all year. Extremely cold, dark winters. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward beetle larvae, sumac and holly fruit.
Subarctic boreal forest in the south, Arctic tundra in the north.
Nesting in Northwest Territories
Across Northwest Territories, 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.
Brief summers with midnight sun.
- Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, pin cherry, chokecherry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Northwest Territories plants that attract pileated woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Northwest Territories, these 8 provide food or cover pileated woodpeckers use:
Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.
Fast-growing northern cherry with midsummer fruit.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
White fruit and red winter stems; good thicket cover.
Red fruit persists until late winter when other food is gone.
Saskatoon berries ripen in early summer.
Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.
Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.
Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Northwest Territories year
Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Northwest Territories's winter: Extremely cold, dark winters.
Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are pileated woodpeckers in Northwest Territories year-round?
Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Northwest Territories.
When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Northwest Territories?
Nesting in Northwest Territories 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 Northwest Territories?
Paper birch, Pin cherry, Chokecherry, Red-osier dogwood, Highbush cranberry, Western serviceberry, Balsam fir, White spruce are native plants in Northwest Territories that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Northwest Territories
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 — Northwest Territories
- Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada — Natural Resources Canada
- 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.