Tennessee · Year-round resident

Red-headed Woodpeckers in Tennessee

When red-headed woodpeckers are present in Tennessee, when they nest, which native Tennessee plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–8a yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Status in Tennessee: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–8a

When to expect red-headed woodpeckers in Tennessee

Red-headed Woodpeckers live in Tennessee all year. Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward stored acorns and beechnuts.

Humid subtropical, from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River floodplain.

Nesting in Tennessee

Across Tennessee, 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 in the valleys.

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 Tennessee plants that attract red-headed woodpeckers

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

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.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding red-headed woodpeckers through the Tennessee year

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

Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Sunflower.
In Tennessee's winter: Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round.

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

Frequently asked

Are red-headed woodpeckers in Tennessee year-round?

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

When do red-headed woodpeckers nest in Tennessee?

Nesting in Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

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

Red-headed Woodpeckers in other regions

Other backyard birds in Tennessee

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch 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 Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted 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 Pine 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.