Red-headed Woodpeckers in Virginia
When red-headed woodpeckers are present in Virginia, when they nest, which native Virginia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–8a yard.
- Status in Virginia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–8a
When to expect red-headed woodpeckers in Virginia
Red-headed Woodpeckers live in Virginia all year. Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward stored acorns and beechnuts.
Humid subtropical in the east, cooler and snowier in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny highlands.
Nesting in Virginia
Across Virginia, 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.
Warm, humid summers; House Wrens and hummingbirds breed statewide.
- Red-headed Woodpeckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, spicebush, serviceberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Virginia plants that attract red-headed woodpeckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Virginia, these 8 provide food or cover red-headed woodpeckers use:
Fall fruit.
High-fat red berries and caterpillar host.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
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.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Feeding red-headed woodpeckers through the Virginia year
A declining open-woodland species that visits yards with large dead limbs left standing.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanuts, Sunflower.
- In Virginia's winter: Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders.
Full diet breakdown for red-headed woodpeckers · Best feeder for red-headed woodpeckers
Frequently asked
Are red-headed woodpeckers in Virginia year-round?
Yes. Red-headed Woodpeckers are year-round residents in Virginia.
When do red-headed woodpeckers nest in Virginia?
Nesting in Virginia 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 Virginia?
Flowering dogwood, Spicebush, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, New England aster are native plants in Virginia that provide food or cover for red-headed woodpeckers.
Red-headed Woodpeckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Virginia
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 — Virginia
- 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.