Pileated Woodpeckers in Pennsylvania
When pileated woodpeckers are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect pileated woodpeckers in Pennsylvania
Pileated Woodpeckers live in Pennsylvania all year. Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state. 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, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, 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; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Pileated Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as winterberry, black cherry, white oak for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract pileated woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover pileated woodpeckers use:
Winter fruit.
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
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.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Feeding pileated woodpeckers through the Pennsylvania year
Pileateds visit backyards near mature woods and use large tail-prop suet feeders.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Pennsylvania's winter: Snow cover makes suet and heated water valuable; both chickadee species meet in a narrow hybrid zone across the south of the state.
Full diet breakdown for pileated woodpeckers · Best feeder for pileated woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are pileated woodpeckers in Pennsylvania year-round?
Yes. Pileated Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Pennsylvania.
When do pileated woodpeckers nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Winterberry, Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for pileated woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
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 — Pennsylvania
- 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.