Georgia · Year-round resident

Red-headed Woodpeckers in Georgia

When red-headed woodpeckers are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Status in Georgia: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 7a–9a

When to expect red-headed woodpeckers in Georgia

Red-headed Woodpeckers live in Georgia all year. Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north. 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 cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.

Nesting in Georgia

Across Georgia, red-headed woodpeckers typically nest from April–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; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.

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 Georgia plants that attract red-headed woodpeckers

Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover red-headed woodpeckers use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Feeding red-headed woodpeckers through the Georgia year

A declining open-woodland species that visits yards with large dead limbs left standing.

Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Sunflower.
In Georgia's winter: Mild winters bring irregular purple finch and pine-siskin irruptions from the north.

Full diet breakdown for red-headed woodpeckers · Best feeder for red-headed woodpeckers

Frequently asked

Are red-headed woodpeckers in Georgia year-round?

Yes. Red-headed Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Georgia.

When do red-headed woodpeckers nest in Georgia?

Nesting in Georgia typically runs April–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–10 eggs, incubated for 12–14 days.

What native plants attract red-headed woodpeckers in Georgia?

Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush, Tall goldenrod are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for red-headed woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Georgia

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird 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 Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted 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 House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird 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.