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Pileated Woodpecker field guide

Field Guide

Common name	Pileated Woodpecker
Scientific name	Dryocopus pileatus
Family	Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Size	Length: 16–19 in (40–49 cm); about the size of a crowNational Audubon Society
Weight	8.8–12.3 oz (250–350 g)National Audubon Society
Wingspan	2 ft 2 in–2 ft 5 in (66–75 cm)National Audubon Society
Lifespan	Average lifespan (wild): 155 months (Bird Banding Laboratory)Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Diet	Mostly ants and other insects, as well as fruits and nuts; carpenter ants may be up to 60% of the dietNational Audubon Society
Active when	Sleeps or roosts in a cavity at night; drumming is most frequent in the morningAnimal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Range	Year-round resident from northern British Columbia, across Canada to Nova Scotia, south through central California, Idaho, Montana, eastern Kansas, the Gulf Coast and FloridaWashington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Conservation status	IUCN Red List: Least Concern; protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird ActNational Audubon Society · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Field Marks

Very large, mostly black, with a red crest and a white neck stripe.National Audubon Society
White under the wings flashes in flight.National Audubon Society
Forehead and mustache red on male, black on female.National Audubon Society
The female has the same markings as the male except for a slightly smaller red cap and no red moustache.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
The largest woodpecker found in most of North America; only the possibly extirpated Ivory-billed and the Imperial Woodpecker are larger.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Broad, rounded wings and a multi-pointed, wedge-shaped tail.National Audubon Society

Habitat

Favors mature deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forest, as well as coniferous forest, from southern swamps to the old-growth Douglas-fir forest of the northwest.National Audubon Society
Also uses second-growth and fragmented woodlots, as long as some large trees are present.National Audubon Society
Where unmolested, it even lives in parks and woodlots around the edges of large cities.National Audubon Society
In some developing areas of Washington it is an urban and suburban resident, occupying remnant patches of forest, parks, and green-belts.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Prefers to nest in mesic areas, close to streams, in stands with the greatest basal area, stem density, and highest crown canopy.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Uses large snags and large decaying live trees for nesting and roosting, features more abundant in older forests.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Behavior

Excavates deep into rotten wood to reach carpenter ant nests, leaving characteristic rectangular holes in dead trees.National Audubon Society
Large rectangular/oval excavations in snags are indicative of pileated woodpecker foraging.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
May gouge deep holes in rotten wood to get at ant nests, sometimes tearing apart stumps and big sections of fallen logs.National Audubon Society
Pries off long slivers of wood to expose ant galleries, then uses a long, extensible, pointed tongue with barbs and sticky saliva to extract ants.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Also eats other ants (rarely digging into anthills on the ground), termites, larvae of wood-boring beetles, and other insects; about one-quarter of the diet may be wild fruits, berries, and nuts.National Audubon Society
May clamber about acrobatically in small branches to get at berries.National Audubon Society
Call: a loud, flicker-like cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk, rising and then falling in pitch and volume.National Audubon Society
Washington's wildlife agency renders the loud, high-pitched, repetitive call as wuka wuka wuka wuka wuka.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Drumming usually occurs atop a dead tree that resonates; most frequent in the morning, it increases in early spring as courtship begins and is used to proclaim a territory.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Territory is defended with loud drumming and ringing calls.National Audubon Society
Courtship displays include spreading wings to show the white wing patch, raising the crest, swinging the head back and forth, and a gliding display flight.National Audubon Society
Nests in a cavity in a dead tree or dead branch of a live tree, sometimes a utility pole, usually 15-80 ft above ground; generally makes a new cavity each year, both sexes excavating.National Audubon Society
Washington's wildlife agency gives the breeding and nesting period as late March to early July.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Lays 3-5 white eggs; both sexes incubate about 18 days, and young leave the nest 26-28 days after hatching, may remain with parents 2-3 months.National Audubon Society
Studies within the Pacific Northwest indicate home range size may vary from 1000 acres to over 2000 acres.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Known predators include the northern goshawk, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, American marten, and gray fox.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Winter

A permanent resident, but individuals sometimes wander far from breeding areas.National Audubon Society
The winter range is the same as the year-round range.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Typically roosts in hollow trees with multiple entrances, and sleeps or roosts in a cavity at night.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
A large, non-migratory insectivore that may play an important role in controlling insect outbreaks, particularly those of tree beetles.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Questions

How big is a Pileated Woodpecker?

It is 16–19 in (40–49 cm) long with a wingspan of 2 ft 2 in–2 ft 5 in (66–75 cm). It is about the size of a crow and is the largest extant woodpecker in North America.National Audubon Society

How can I tell a male from a female?

The male has a red forehead and a red mustache. The female's forehead and mustache are black, and her red cap is slightly smaller.National Audubon Society · Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

What does it eat?

Mostly ants and other insects, as well as fruits and nuts. Carpenter ants may be up to 60% of its diet.National Audubon Society

Why does it make rectangular holes in trees?

It excavates deep into rotten wood to get at the nests of carpenter ants. This leaves characteristic rectangular holes in dead trees.National Audubon Society

What does its call sound like?

A loud, flicker-like cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk that rises and then falls in pitch and volume. It also defends its territory with loud drumming and ringing calls.National Audubon Society

Does it migrate in winter?

No. It is a permanent resident, and its winter range is the same as its year-round range.National Audubon Society · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Where does it sleep?

It sleeps or roosts in a cavity at night. It typically roosts in hollow trees with multiple entrances.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Can it damage houses?

It hollows out nests 8 inches wide and 2 feet deep, and homeowners and utility companies are often concerned about damage. It is illegal to harm or remove the birds without a permit.Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Why is it called a keystone species?

It creates nesting cavities used by other forest wildlife species. Washington's wildlife agency names Barrow's goldeneye and flammulated owl as examples.Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Is it endangered?

No; it is rated Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Eastern U.S. numbers declined sharply in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it has made a gradual comeback since about 1900.National Audubon Society · Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Clips

A male pileated woodpecker with a bright red crest clings to a dark log feeder under a green roof, with a smaller bird above him, a dark speckled bird beside a seed column, a seed tray below and wire fencing and open snow-covered ground behind.

Pileated woodpecker clings to a log feeder in snow

A black pileated woodpecker with a red crest, red mustache and white face stripes clings to a thick, rough-barked trunk, its long gray bill angled up against a white sky.

Christmas drumming from a pileated woodpecker

A black pileated woodpecker with a red crest, red moustache and white face and neck stripes clings to a thick limb behind thin twigs, a ragged hole of pale exposed wood just left of its feet, green and yellow leaves behind.

Pileated woodpecker calls beside a torn limb

On a snowy January morning in Ithaca, New York, a male settles in for a long visit at a bark butter feeder while flurries come down around him.

A male pileated woodpecker drums on a broken trunk on Christmas afternoon in Lincoln Woods, Rhode Island, pausing between bursts to look around.

A pileated woodpecker clings beside a freshly torn hole in a limb and lets go a high, clear run of piping notes several seconds long.

Sources

Pileated Woodpecker | Audubon Field Guide, National Audubon Society
Dryocopus pileatus (pileated woodpecker), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Pileated woodpecker, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife