Red-headed Woodpeckers in Arkansas
When red-headed woodpeckers are present in Arkansas, when they nest, which native Arkansas plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6b–8b yard.
- Status in Arkansas
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 6b–8b
When to expect red-headed woodpeckers in Arkansas
Red-headed Woodpeckers live in Arkansas all year. Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward stored acorns and beechnuts.
Humid subtropical, with the Ozark and Ouachita highlands in the northwest and the flat Mississippi Delta in the east.
Nesting in Arkansas
Across Arkansas, red-headed woodpeckers typically nest from May–July. Nest site: cavity in dead trees or limbs. Females lay 3–10 eggs, incubate for 12–14 days, and young leave the nest after 24–31 days.
Hot, humid summers; shade nest boxes in the Delta.
- Red-headed Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, serviceberry, white oak for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Arkansas plants that attract red-headed woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Arkansas, these 8 provide food or cover red-headed woodpeckers use:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Feeding red-headed woodpeckers through the Arkansas year
A declining open-woodland species that visits yards with large dead limbs left standing.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Sunflower.
- In Arkansas's winter: Mild winters with occasional ice storms that make suet and sheltered feeders critical for a few days at a time.
Full diet breakdown for red-headed woodpeckers · Best feeder for red-headed woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are red-headed woodpeckers in Arkansas year-round?
Yes. Red-headed Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Arkansas.
When do red-headed woodpeckers nest in Arkansas?
Nesting in Arkansas typically runs May–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–10 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.
What native plants attract red-headed woodpeckers in Arkansas?
Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush are native plants in Arkansas that provide food or cover for red-headed woodpeckers.
Red-headed Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Arkansas
Sources
- Red-headed Woodpecker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-headed Woodpecker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-headed Woodpecker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Arkansas
- 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.