Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in Pennsylvania
When yellow-bellied sapsuckers are present in Pennsylvania, when they nest, which native Pennsylvania plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5a–7b yard.
- Status in Pennsylvania
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5a–7b
When to expect yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Pennsylvania
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are summer residents in Pennsylvania, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on sap and ants.
Humid continental; cold, snowy winters in the north and mountains, milder in the southeast.
Nesting in Pennsylvania
Across Pennsylvania, yellow-bellied sapsuckers typically nest from May–June. Nest site: cavity in live aspen or birch with heart rot. Females lay 4–5 eggs, incubate for 10–13 days, and young leave the nest after 25–29 days.
Warm summers; bluebirds typically raise two broods.
- Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, white oak, flowering dogwood for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.
Native Pennsylvania plants that attract yellow-bellied sapsuckers
Of the regional native plants we track for Pennsylvania, these 8 provide food or cover yellow-bellied sapsuckers use:
Summer fruit and a major caterpillar host.
Acorns and insects.
Fall seed.
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.
Feeding yellow-bellied sapsuckers through the Pennsylvania year
Sapsucker wells feed hummingbirds too; Ruby-throats often follow them north in spring.
- Best foods: Suet.
- In Pennsylvania's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Full diet breakdown for yellow-bellied sapsuckers · Best feeder for yellow-bellied sapsuckers
Frequently asked
Are yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Pennsylvania year-round?
No. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are summer breeders in Pennsylvania and leave for the winter.
When do yellow-bellied sapsuckers nest in Pennsylvania?
Nesting in Pennsylvania typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 4–5 eggs, incubated for 10–13 days.
What native plants attract yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Pennsylvania?
Black cherry, White oak, New England aster, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, Bur oak, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Pennsylvania that provide food or cover for yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Pennsylvania
Sources
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Pennsylvania
- 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.