ID Keys: Large size, red crest, black body, white striping on face
and chin.
The Pileated
Woodpecker is the largest living woodpecker found in the United States, unless
one believes that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of the southeast U.S. is still
holding on (I do!!!). With the clearing of most of the forests of the eastern
U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Pileated Woodpecker populations
plummeted. As forests have returned, so have Pileated Woodpeckers.
While preferring areas of old-growth deciduous or mixed forest, they have begun
to inhabit second-growth forest as well, and their numbers have increased as
they've learned to adapt to a new environment. Pileated Woodpeckers use their powerful bill to excavate into rotten wood and gain access to
their favorite prey item, carpenter ant nests, as well as to feed on wood-boring insect larvae and other insects.
Habitat
Prefers deciduous or mixed forest, but can also be found in conifer forest. Strongly prefers mature forest with tall trees, and forest clearing was the primary reason for sharp population declines by 1900. Recently, they've shown some adaptation to second-growth forest.
Diet
Over half of the diet is composed of ants, especially carpenter ants. Will also feed on other ants, wood-boring insect larvae, and other insects. Much of the winter diet is fruits, berries, and nuts.
Behavior
Forages for insects in dead or decaying wood by digging and excavating. Will also climb through foliage for berries and other food items.
Breeding
Possible but unconfirmed breeder in South Dakota. The nest is a cavity in a dead tree or dead tree branch. The female lays between 3 and 5 eggs, and both parents help to incubate them. After the eggs hatch, both parents feed the young. Young typically leave the nest after about 4 weeks, but will stay with the parents for several additional weeks.
Song
The Pileated Woodpecker gives loud, ringing calls often described as a series of wild, laughing kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk notes that carry long distances through the forest. It also produces powerful, resonant drumming on trees, creating one of the loudest and most distinctive drumming sounds of any North American woodpecker.
Migration
A permanent resident throughout its range, but individual birds may wander widely.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The Pileated Woodpecker is slightly smaller than the legendary Ivory-billed Woodpecker and shows white only on the underwings and along the neck, not the large white trailing edge and extensive white patches on the folded wings characteristic of the Ivory-billed. Pileated Woodpeckers have a dark bill, whereas Ivory-billed Woodpeckers were noted for their pale ivory-colored bill. In flight, the extensive white on the back and wings of the Ivory-billed would create a much bolder black-and-white appearance than the mostly dark-backed Pileated Woodpecker. Additionally, Pileated Woodpeckers remain widespread and regularly encountered in suitable forests, while the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is widely regarded as possibly extinct or, at best, extraordinarily elusive.
Feeders
Will attend feeders for suet and nutmeats.
Conservation Status
The Pileated Woodpecker is considered a species of low conservation concern and has generally benefited from the recovery and maturation of forests across much of eastern North America. Populations are stable or increasing in many regions, although the species depends on large trees and standing dead wood for nesting and foraging. Extensive removal of mature forests and snags can reduce habitat quality for local populations. The IUCN lists the Pileated Woodpecker as a species of "Least Concern" .
Photo Information
Photo taken on October 27th, 2012 - DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska - Terry Sohl
