The pileated red crowned woodpecker is a very real bird species found across North America. Also known as the pileated woodpecker or Northern pileated woodpecker, this large woodpecker has distinctive plumage and behaviors that make it easy to identify. In this article, we’ll explore key facts about the pileated red crowned woodpecker, including its appearance, habitat, range, diet, and conservation status. We’ll also look at some common myths and misconceptions about this awe-inspiring bird. Read on to learn all about this crow-sized woodpecker with the flaming red crest!
Appearance and Identification
The pileated red crowned woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in North America, reaching 15-19 inches in length with a wingspan of 26-30 inches. Here are some of its key physical features:
- Large black body with white stripes down the neck and white underwings
- Bright red crest on the head (male and female)
- Long black bill curved to a sharp point
- White line from the bill to the throat
- Black wings with white lining
- White underparts
- Red line from the bill to the throat (male only)
- Yellow eyes
- Distinctive loud, ringing call
The pileated woodpecker’s most distinctive feature is the bright red crest that gives it a “crowned” appearance. The crest is the same vibrant red on both males and females. Males can be distinguished from females by the additional red stripe or “mustache” on the face.
In flight, the pileated woodpecker shows large white underwings and inner flight feathers contrasting with its dark body. Its undulating flight pattern is also distinctive. When calling, this bird makes an extremely loud, ringing sound that carries over long distances. The powerful bill is a jackhammer used for excavating nest cavities in dead trees.
Overall, the pileated woodpecker is nearly crow-sized and unmistakable compared to other North American woodpeckers. It’s unlikely to be confused with other species once properly identified.
Range and Habitat
The pileated red crowned woodpecker has an extensive range across North America. It can be found in forests across much of Canada, the eastern United States, parts of the Pacific Northwest, and even down into Central America.
This bird inhabits mature forests with plenty of dead and decaying trees that provide nesting sites and shelter. Its preferred habitats include:
- Deciduous forests
- Coniferous forests
- Old growth forests
- Swamps and wooded wetlands
- Riparian woodlands along rivers and streams
- Pine savannas
- Partially cleared forests with standing dead trees
The pileated prefers forests with larger trees, moderate understory density, and a mix of decaying snags in various stages of decay. Mature forests provide the nest cavities this bird needs, which it excavates with its powerful bill. You’re most likely to find the pileated woodpecker in wooded areas with big snags and fallen logs.
Diet and Feeding Behavior
The pileated woodpecker is adapted for chiseling out wood to find food hidden inside trees. Its primary diet consists of insects like carpenter ants, wood-boring beetle larvae, and termites. It also eats fruits, nuts, and berries.
Here are some key facts about the pileated’s feeding behavior:
- Uses its long sticky tongue to extract ants and termites from tunnels and galleries in wood
- Drills into dead trees and fallen logs to excavate insect prey
- Makes rectangular-shaped excavations in wood while searching for food
- Occasionally eats plant sources like acorns, poison ivy fruits, and berries
- Forages mainly on the trunks of large standing dead trees
- Also gleans prey from under tree bark and on the forest floor
- Males and females cooperate in raising young but forage independently
The pileated has a strong, chisel-like bill it uses to hammer and excavate into wood. You can find many square holes left behind on dead and dying trees where pileateds have carved out food. They often return to favorite feeding trees. Their holes provide habitat for nesting and feeding for other birds and wildlife.
Breeding and Nesting
Pileated woodpeckers are monogamous and pair for life. Their breeding season lasts from April to July. During this time, mating pairs work together to excavate a new nest cavity in a large dead or dying tree.
Here’s an overview of their breeding and nesting behavior:
- Males attract females with loud drumming on tree trunks
- Pairs excavate a new nest cavity each breeding season
- The nest hole is typically high up on a large snag or dead limb
- Entrance is 2.5-3.5 inches wide and oval or rectangular shaped
- Cavity is 1-2 feet deep into decayed wood
- Lays 3-5 glossy white eggs
- Both parents incubate eggs for 15-18 days
- Nestlings fledge in 26-28 days after hatching
- Parents feed nestlings by regurgitating food into the cavity
- Juveniles stay with parents up to 2 months after fledging
Pileated pairs often reuse and enlarge old cavities in subsequent years. Their nest holes provide secondary nesting sites for many other bird species, including wood ducks, owls, falcons, and even black bears! Cavities can take a pair over a month to complete using their powerful bills as jackhammers.
Conservation Status
The pileated woodpecker has a large range and healthy overall population. According to the IUCN Red List, it is classified as a species of Least Concern. However, populations have declined locally in some regions due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
Here is a summary of the pileated’s current conservation status:
- IUCN status: Least concern
- Global population estimate: 1 million+ individuals
- Population trend: Decreasing locally but overall stable range-wide
- Threats: habitat loss from logging and development
Mature forests with standing dead trees and downed woody debris provide this woodpecker’s ideal habitat. Protecting large tracts of forest habitat will benefit the pileated woodpecker. Where dead and dying trees are removed from woodlands, pileateds may disappear over time. Providing snags and avoiding fragmentation helps conserve this keystone cavity excavator.
Interesting Facts
Beyond the basics, there are many fascinating facts about the charismatic pileated woodpecker:
- Pileated means “capped” or “crested” in Latin, referring to its prominent red crest.
- At 15 inches, it’s the largest woodpecker in North America and 4th largest in the world.
- Powerful bill delivers up to 500 pounding blows per minute on trees.
- Mating pairs stay together year-round, signaling with loud calls.
- Territory size ranges from 500 acres up to over a square mile.
- Male and female work together at nest cavity excavation.
- Occasionally eats at suet bird feeders in winter.
- Lifespan ranges from 7 years up to almost 12 years in the wild.
- Was called a “Lord God bird” in early times due to its impressive size.
The pileated woodpecker is awe-inspiring not just for its size, but also its primordial appearance and raucous voice. These behaviors led some Native American tribes to consider it a sacred spirit bird. Its association with carpenter ants also connects it symbolically to hard work, survival, and community-building.
Myths and Misconceptions
Despite being a well-known bird, there are some common myths and misunderstandings regarding the pileated woodpecker:
- Myth: Theyonly live in old-growth forests. Fact: They inhabit both old forests and younger woodlands with some large trees.
- Myth: They are solitary birds. Fact: They live in pairs year-round and young stay with parents.
- Myth: They mostly eat wood. Fact: Their diet is mainly ants, beetles, and other insects.
- Myth: Males and females look very different. Fact: The sexes appear identical except for a red mustache on the male.
- Myth: They are aggressive predators. Fact: They eat mainly insects and prefer to avoid conflicts.
Understanding the truth about the pileated woodpecker highlights the complex lives of these forest birds. Properly differentiating fact from fiction also allows us to conserve the species based on science rather than myths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about the pileated woodpecker:
Where can I see a pileated woodpecker?
Your best chance of sighting one is in a mature forest with standing dead trees, fallen logs, and a minimal understory. Listen for their loud calls and look for large cavities they excavate.
How do you attract pileated woodpeckers?
Try putting up a tall suet feeder, planting fruit trees, retaining dead snags, and limiting tidying up fallen branches and debris where insects live. Their natural food sources are most important.
Why are pileated woodpeckers important?
These keystone cavity excavators provide nesting and shelter sites used by many other species. Their old cavities are especially crucial for owls, ducks, bats, and small mammals.
Are pileated woodpeckers aggressive?
They prefer to avoid conflicts and will flap their wings or call from afar to scare off intruders. Males may drum to defend a nest but they do not attack without cause.
Do pileated woodpeckers migrate?
No, they are non-migratory and live year-round within their breeding range. Pairs generally occupy the same home territory across seasons.
Conclusion
The pileated woodpecker may seem like a mythical, almost prehistoric bird due to its primitive features and wild behaviors. But it is very much a living, breathing species still gracing North America’s mature forests. Its hallmarks include the brilliant red crest, loud rattling call, and mammoth nest cavities carved into trees. While pileated woodpecker populations currently remain stable, protecting large swaths of habitat will be crucial for the long-term survival of these essential forest engineers. We can further support pileateds by learning to appreciate the natural benefits they bring to woodland ecosystems.
