WhenToBird

Dryocopus pileatus · Picidae

When Do Pileated Woodpeckers Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult male Pileated Woodpecker
Photo: Marcel_Pepin, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Pileated Woodpeckers are in Massachusetts all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from late March, peak in late April (6.4% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of June. In the quietest week (mid January) they are still on about 2.2% of checklists.

When to look

Numbers buildMar 22-31late March
PeakApr 22-30late April
Fall back byJun 8-14the second week of June
FewestJan 15-21mid January

Best: late April. Here all year; numbers build from late March and fall back by the second week of June. Peak: on about 6.4% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Januncommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marcommon
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Maypeak season
  6. Junpeak season
  7. Julcommon
  8. Augcommon
  9. Seppeak season
  10. Octcommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%2%4%6%8%Jan 1-7: 2.3% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 2.0% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 2.2% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 2.3% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 2.5% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 2.6% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 2.5% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 2.9% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 3.3% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 3.5% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 4.1% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 4.2% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 4.8% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 6.0% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 5.9% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 6.4% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 6.7% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 5.9% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 5.7% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 5.5% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 5.1% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 4.7% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 4.3% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 3.5% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 3.1% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.5% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.3% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.4% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.5% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 3.0% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 3.8% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 4.5% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 5.0% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 4.9% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 4.5% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 4.5% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 3.5% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 3.3% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.2% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 3.1% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 2.8% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 2.6% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 2.9% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 2.4% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 2.6% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.0% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 2.6% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hampden CountyBest mid April · 1026 checklists that week, 35,410 in all18%
  2. Franklin CountyBest the second week of September · 657 checklists that week, 41,382 in all14%
  3. Hampshire CountyBest early May · 6139 checklists that week, 162,423 in all14%
  4. Berkshire CountyBest early May · 3743 checklists that week, 92,890 in all13%
  5. Worcester CountyBest the second week of September · 2141 checklists that week, 128,594 in all10%
  6. Essex CountyBest mid April · 5606 checklists that week, 213,973 in all6.4%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway (southeast)Hampshire County, best late May · 40 checklists that week, 981 in all65%
  2. Beck PondEssex County, best late March · 29 checklists that week, 653 in all63%
  3. Upper Flannagan PondMiddlesex County, best late March · 30 checklists that week, 495 in all55%
  4. Clamshell PondWorcester County, best early October · 22 checklists that week, 510 in all55%
  5. Blueberry HillEssex County, best mid March · 21 checklists that week, 649 in all54%
  6. Broad Brook - Fitzgerald Lake Greenway (east)Hampshire County, best mid April · 23 checklists that week, 296 in all51%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Pileated Woodpecker is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (6.3% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%8%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 7.3% of 108601 checklists7 am: 5.8% of 186104 checklists8 am: 4.5% of 185905 checklists9 am: 3.9% of 166049 checklists10 am: 3.3% of 150508 checklists11 am: 2.9% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 2.6% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 2.8% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 2.7% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 2.8% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 3.0% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 3.3% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 2.8% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January2.3%2.0%2.2%2.3%
February2.5%2.6%2.5%2.9%
March3.3%3.5%4.1%4.2%
April4.8%6.0%5.9%6.4%
May6.7%5.9%5.7%5.5%
June5.1%4.7%4.3%3.5%
July3.1%2.5%2.3%2.1%
August2.4%2.5%3.0%3.8%
September4.5%5.0%4.9%4.5%
October4.5%3.5%3.3%3.2%
November3.1%2.8%2.6%2.9%
December2.4%2.6%3.0%2.6%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives late January, 8 weeks earlier than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: year-round, peaks early May
  • Connecticut: arrives the second week of April, 2 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives early September, 21 weeks later than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Pileated Woodpeckers arrive in Massachusetts?
Pileated Woodpeckers are in Massachusetts all year, but most are here in spring: numbers build from late March, peak in late April (6.4% of checklists), and fall back by the second week of June. In the quietest week (mid January) they are still on about 2.2% of checklists.
When do Pileated Woodpeckers leave Massachusetts?
Pileated Woodpeckers never fully leave Massachusetts: numbers fall back below half their usual rate by the second week of June, but some are still reported in every week, about 2.2% of checklists at the low.
When is the best time to see a Pileated Woodpecker in Massachusetts?
The Pileated Woodpecker is reported most often in late April, on about 6.4% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Pileated Woodpeckers seen most often?
By county, Hampden County, Franklin County, and Hampshire County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Pileated Woodpecker (counties with at least 200 checklists).