Wildbird
HOME Bird name:

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatusOrder: PICIFORMESFamily: Woodpeckers (Picidae)

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Forest edge



Breeding Type:

Monogamous



Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common



Egg Color:

White



Number of Eggs:

3 - 8



Incubation Days:

15 - 18



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Few wood chips in tree.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar
BEYOND THE BACKYARD...
800+ BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
FORUMS - ID HELP - ARTICLES - FREE SOFTWARE - MUCH MORE
If you like the Project Wildbird ID Engine you may want to check out the WhatBird North America database - the gold standard of bird identification that Project Wildbird is based on.

Whatbird.com - a commercial web site - offers the same search capability for every bird in North America, including rare and vagrants, shorebirds, raptors, even extinct species. You'll find the same outstanding illustrations, bird calls, plus these features:

Browse Birds - view birds by location, shape, color, size, etc.

Bird Expert - guides you ID with simple questions

Forum - Visit our Identification Forum and get personal answers from our ornithologists David Lukas and Simone Whitecloud.

FORUMS - ID HELP - ARTICLES - FREE SOFTWARE - MUCH MORE

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.

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and 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.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts, Sugar Water, Fruit

Vocalization

Pileated Woodpecker: Call is a loud, flicker-like "cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk", rising and then falling in pitch and volume.

Similar Species

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

.

Copyright © 2005 WBFI Research Foundation Bird database and its related content and media is Copyright (C) 2002 - 2005 Mitch Waite Group All rights reserved.

Family Woodpecker (Picidae)_blue
Species Dryocopus pileatus
Length16.5 - 19.5 Inches
Wingspan28.5 Inches

Pileated Woodpecker

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.

● 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.
Pileated Woodpecker Body Illustration
● 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