Ohio · Year-round resident

Pileated Woodpeckers in Ohio

When pileated woodpeckers are present in Ohio, when they nest, which native Ohio plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–7a yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus

Status in Ohio: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 5b–7a

When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Ohio

Pileated Woodpeckers live in Ohio all year. Snow and sub-freezing stretches are routine; Carolina Chickadees hold the south and Black-capped the north. 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; cold winters and warm summers, with Lake Erie moderating the north coast.

Nesting in Ohio

Across Ohio, 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, humid summers; western Lake Erie marshes are a major migration stopover.

Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as serviceberry, spicebush, eastern red cedar for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Ohio plants that attract pileated woodpeckers

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

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early fruit.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

High-fat fall berries.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Winter cover and fruit.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

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.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Ohio year

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

Best foods: Suet.
In Ohio's winter: Snow and sub-freezing stretches are routine; Carolina Chickadees hold the south and Black-capped the north.

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

Frequently asked

Are pileated woodpeckers in Ohio year-round?

Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Ohio.

When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Ohio?

Nesting in Ohio 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 Ohio?

Serviceberry, Spicebush, Eastern red cedar, Flowering dogwood, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak are native plants in Ohio that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Ohio

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Carolina 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 Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow 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.