Michigan · Summer breeder

Red-headed Woodpeckers in Michigan

When red-headed woodpeckers are present in Michigan, when they nest, which native Michigan plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–6b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Status in Michigan: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–6b

When to expect red-headed woodpeckers in Michigan

Red-headed Woodpeckers are summer residents in Michigan, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on flying insects and beetles.

Humid continental, strongly shaped by the Great Lakes; colder and snowier in the Upper Peninsula.

Nesting in Michigan

Across Michigan, 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.

A compressed nesting season; bluebirds usually manage one or two broods.

Red-headed Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Michigan plants that attract red-headed woodpeckers

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

Eastern hemlock

Tsuga canadensis · Tree

Seeds and dense winter shelter.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

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

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

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.

Feeding red-headed woodpeckers through the Michigan year

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

Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Sunflower.
In Michigan's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

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

Frequently asked

Are red-headed woodpeckers in Michigan year-round?

No. Red-headed Woodpeckers are summer breeders in Michigan and leave for the winter.

When do red-headed woodpeckers nest in Michigan?

Nesting in Michigan 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 Michigan?

Eastern hemlock, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Michigan that provide food or cover for red-headed woodpeckers.

Other backyard birds in Michigan

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped 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 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 Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird 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 American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay 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.