Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatusOrder: PICIFORMES Family: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Codes: Common Name: PIWO Scientific Name: DRYPIL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178166

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Overview

Pileated Woodpecker: Large woodpecker with mostly black body and white wing linings which are visible in flight. the head has a prominent red crest and cap, white face and neck stripes and a red moustache stripe, and large gray bill. Legs and feet are gray. The largest woodpecker in North America.

Range and Habitat

Pileated Woodpecker: Resident from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south to northern California, southern Idaho, eastern North Dakota, central Texas, and Florida. Found in mature forests and borders.

Topo Map: Tree-clinging-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk"

Interesting Facts

Pileated Woodpeckers "drum" on hollow trees with their bills in order to claim territory.

They dig rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half.

They will make up to 16 holes in each tree to allow escape routes should a predator enter the tree. They peck the bark around the entrance holes to make the sap run from the tree. This will keep some predators, such as snakes, from entering.

A group of pileated woodpeckers are collectively known as a "crown" of woodpeckers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Pileated Woodpecker

● Song: "cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Pileated Woodpecker: Feeds on insects such as ants and wood boring beetle larvae; also eats fruits and nuts. Pries off long slivers of wood to expose ant galleries, or uses its long, pointed tongue with barbs and sticky saliva to catch and extract ants from tunnels.

● Breeding & nesting: Pileated Woodpecker: Three to eight white eggs are laid in a bare tree cavity. Incubation ranges from 15 to 18 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Pileated Woodpecker: Ivory-billed Woodpecker lacks white chin and small white eyestripe extending to crest.

Flight Pattern

Strong powerful wing beats when traveling distances.

● Range & Habitat: Pileated Woodpecker: Resident from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south to northern California, southern Idaho, eastern North Dakota, central Texas, and Florida. Found in mature forests and borders.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight10.9 Ounces

Tree-clinging-like Body

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

Crest

Tufts of feathers on the head of the bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America