Pileated woodpecker

Adults are mainly black with a red crest and a white line down the sides of the throat. They show white on the wings in flight. Adult males have a red line from the bill to the throat, in adult females these are black. The only North American birds of similar plumage and size are the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of the Southeastern United States and Cuba, and the related Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico. However, unlike the Pileated, both of those species are extremely rare, if not extinct. Most reports of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker are believed to be erroneous reports of the far more common Pileated.

The Pileated woodpecker is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. More

Nearly as large as a crow, the Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in most of North America. Its loud ringing calls and huge, rectangular excavations in dead trees announce its presence in forests across the continent. More

The Pileated Woodpecker is a truly impressive and unforgettable bird, for those who are blessed with an opportunity to see and observe them. With its brilliant red crest, loud alarming call, large "crow sized" body, and handsome white wing linings, this bird is a memorable one. For Birders and other nature enthusiasts who spend time outdoors looking for and observing other members of the bird family, catching a glimpse of a Pileated Woodpecker is a rewarding experience. More

Pileated Woodpecker hole in a white cedar trunk Male excavating a nest hole These birds mainly eat insects, especially carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae, fruits, and nuts. They often chip out large and roughly rectangular holes in trees while searching out insects. Pileated Woodpeckers raise their young every year in a hole in the tree. In April the hole made by the male attracts a female for mating and raising their young. More

Pileated WoodpeckerThe pileated woodpecker is about 15 inches in length and is one of the largest woodpeckers found in North America. (Only the possibly extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the southeastern United States and Cuba and the Imperial Woodpecker of western Mexico are larger.) It has a black body, a red crest, white stripes on its neck and black and white stripes on its face. It has yellow bristly feathers over its nostrils that keep out wood chips. More

Photo: A pileated woodpecker on a tree A pileated woodpecker on a tree Photograph by Bates Littlehales Map Map: Pileated woodpecker range Pileated Woodpecker Range Audio Fast Facts Type: Bird Diet: Omnivore Size: More

The Pileated Woodpecker nest box has a 10" by 10" floor, 24" inside ceiling, 4" diameter entrance hole located 21" above the floor and ventilation openings. Assembled with screws. Hinged roof is secured with shutter hooks for easy access. Lays three to five white eggs which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another four weeks. More

The Pileated Woodpecker is an impressive bird, and spotting one winging its way through the trees is a sight to see. It is one of the largest North American Woodpeckers, nearly the size of a crow with brilliant red crest and an annoyingly loud call. Even if you not lucky enough to spot one, evidence of their presence is usually obvious. Their excavations when searching for bugs are rectangular and deep. More

The Pileated woodpecker is about the size of a crow. * Size: 16 to 19 inches (40-49 cm) * Wingspan: 26 to 30 inches (66-75 cm) * Weight: 8.9 to 12.4 ounces (250-350 g) They are mostly black with a red crest, white markings on their head and white linings on the under side of their wings. The picture above shows a male. More

In one study, Pileated Woodpeckers spent 58% of their foraging time on dead wood and 36% on live wood. In another study, the birds fed on dead wood 96% of the time, 44% on snags, and 36% in dead logs. Nesting Both sexes excavate a cavity in tree 15 to 125 feet above the ground. The oval entrance is taller than wide, about 4-6 inches in diameter. More

Pileated Woodpeckers as long as there are trees large enough for roosting and nesting. Pileated Woodpeckers are often associated with mature and old-growth forests but can breed in younger forests if they contain some large trees. In western Washington, they typically roost in western hemlock and western red cedar. back to top Behavior - These powerful woodpeckers chip out characteristic oval or rectangular excavations in the trees in which they forage. More

Amazingly, I just saw my first Pileated Woodpecker on Mother's Day, May 8, 2005. Not knowing that the Pileated Wood Pecker existed, you can imagine my shock when it was spotted high on a loblolly pine, 1/4 mile from the ocean front in Virginia Beach VA. Having read of the rediscovery of the large Ivory-billed with the red crest, but forgetting the ivory-billed part, I watch in amazement when this larger than life woodpecker used its beak to flick-off pieces of bark on the pine tree. More

red-headed woodpecker The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest North American woodpecker. Although the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is actually larger, its numbers (Ivory-billed) are such that it is considered near or at extinction. Description - Measuring 16-19 inches long with a red crest and black bill. You'll find these birds in mature forest with large trees. More

Pileated Woodpecker, Louis Agassiz Fuertes Pileated Woodpeckers Louis Agassiz Fuertes White wing linings, at base of wing quills and basal half of inner wing feather webs. Primaries are sometimes white tipped. Skirted flank and belly feathers Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Charles R. Knight Ivory-billed Woodpecker Charles R. More

Because the Pileated Woodpecker depends on large dead trees for nesting and roosting sites, and for food, the species is vulnerable to forestry practices that leave no large trees standing. In the past, the birds have been shot for sport and for food, and their numbers declined. Fortunately, they are increasing again and the Pileated Woodpecker is not a species of conservation concern. More

The Pileated Woodpecker has an enormous range extending roughly 5,900,000 square kilometers. This bird can be found in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It prefers a forest habitat and can be found in subtropical and tropical forests, wetlands and even rural gardens and urban areas. The global population of this species is estimated to be around 930,000 individual birds. More

Range Expansion of the Pileated Woodpecker in North Dakota = Jill A. Dechant - Abstract: Natural history writings from explorers such as M. Lewis, W. Clark, J. J. Audubon, S. F. Baird, and E. Coues failed to mention the pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) in North Dakota throughout the 1800's. More

The pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker is Region One. Because it creates a lot of very large cavities, it provides habitat for many other cavity-dependent species. Pileated woodpeckers only nest in very large, relatively tall, ponderosa pine, western larch, or black cottonwood snags, although in Idaho, pileated woodpeckers can be found nesting in western redcedar snags. The cohesive strategy team assessed the current status of pileated woodpecker habitat in Region One. More

Pileated Woodpeckers are found throughout eastern North America south of the boreal forest and east and north of the open prairies and arid Southwest. They are also found in the Pacific Northwest and Prairie provinces of Canada. They are most abundant along the major river valleys and in the coastal plain. Populations experienced a marked decline at around the 1900s in the Northeast, especially in New England and New York, when forests were cleared for farming. More

A pileated woodpecker can live as long as ten years. Habitat Pileated woodpeckers live in large, mature forests in the eastern United States, southern Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the US. It needs the old trees since it makes many small holes to pull out insects with its long, sticky tongue. They pull bark off the trees to expose ant colonies, which they eat. More

White Pileated Woodpecker Documented in the Big Woods = February 22, 2006 Authors: Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Martjan Lammertink, Keith Brady, Sonny Bass, and Utami Setiorini Photo: Martjan Lammertink, © Cornell Lab of Ornithology In the latest development in the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, a white Pileated Woodpecker was discovered in the White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas. More

Pileated Woodpecker has become the largest woodpecker found locally and one of the most spectacular of all local birds. Approaching the crow in size, the pileated was the model for the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Despite its size it is a rather shy bird and can be difficult to observe. Their presence can sometimes be confirmed by the rectangular shaped holes they dig in trees as they search for food. More

The Pileated Woodpecker is also known as the “Rain Crow” and “Indian Hen”. One of the most extraordinary habits of the Pileated Woodpecker is that if their eggs fall out of the nest, they will gather them up and move them to another nest. Other birds rarely do this. Pileated Woodpeckers normally lay a clutch of four eggs; both the make and female help incubate the eggs. The word “Pileated” means to have a crest covering the pilium or head. More

Shy and wary of humans, the pileated woodpecker is not known to migrate long distances. Its flight is strong with irregular flaps of the wings. Both sexes drum on a selected hollow dead tree, a loud rolling tap that can last up to five minutes to announce their territory dominance to other inhabitants and to attract a mate. The pileated will also drum before it is about to go to roost. The pileated emits a loud repetitive call – never just a single note. More

Four subspecies of Pileated Woodpecker were recognized by Bent (1939) and also by the American Ornithologists More

We still hear the real pileated woodpecker now and then, but he is very clever at avoiding our camera. On October 24th we captured a random tree inspection by a pileated woodpecker. He seemed to be scouting out potential stay-over openings in the trees on our back border. He's most welcome to call this area home. More

sapsucker, but commonly the pileated woodpecker's performance is so heavy as to be unmistakable. Often the drumming consists not of a roll but of slow heavy beats. Dr. Sutton (1930) writes: "On May 19, 1925. . .I heard a male drumming for over an hour. . . . During the whole period there was a noticeable similarity of the performances. . . . At least fifty or sixty times there was an introductory, rapidly given roll; then a pause, followed by three distinct blows. . . More

Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North America. More

Pileated Woodpecker Information Length: 16 - 19.5" Habitat: Mature deciduous, coniferous, or mixed forests; second growth woodlands with some large trees; wooded residential areas. Prefers woodlands near streams and rivers. Presence of large, dead trees is a habitat requirement. Diet: Ants (especially, carpenter ants) and beetles; other insects; wild fruits Pileated Woodpecker and berries; nuts. More

Pileated Woodpecker male is one of the largest woodpeckers of North America. It is almost entirely black on back and wings. It has white chin and dark silvery grey bill, and red crest and forehead. It shows black and white stripes on face, the first extending from base of bill down neck to upper flanks, and the other above the eyes. It has red moustache stripe. In flight, we can see its white underwings. More