Which woodpecker sounds like a jackhammer?

Woodpeckers are unique birds known for their distinctive pecking and drumming sounds. Most woodpeckers make tapping or light knocking noises as they search for food under tree bark. However, one species in particular has earned a reputation for its relentlessly loud, machine gun-like hammering – the pileated woodpecker.

Quick Answer: The Pileated Woodpecker Sounds Like a Jackhammer

With its large size, bright red crest, and incredibly powerful beak, the pileated woodpecker produces a relentlessly loud, fast hammering sound that echoes through the forest. This drumming is so intense that it often sounds like a jackhammer or machine gun, earning the pileated woodpecker nicknames like “carpenter bird” and “logcock.”

What Makes the Pileated Woodpecker So Loud?

There are a few key reasons why the pileated woodpecker has such an unusually loud, hammering call compared to other woodpeckers:

• Large size – As one of the largest woodpecker species in North America, the pileated has more muscle power to hammer harder.
• Powerful beak – Their chisel-like beaks are specially adapted for heavy-duty hammering.
• Drumming on resonating trees – They choose hollow trunks or branches that amplify their pecking.
• Territorial signaling – The loud calls help advertise their territory and attract mates.
• Searching for beetle larvae – Loud hammering helps pileated woodpeckers dig deep for ant and beetle larvae.

Large Size

With a body length up to 19 inches (nearly 50 cm) and a wingspan up to 30 inches (75 cm), the pileated woodpecker is one of the largest woodpecker species found in North America. In fact, it’s nearly the size of a crow! This large body gives the pileated woodpecker more muscular strength compared to smaller woodpecker species. They can hammer against trees with greater force, creating louder, more jackhammer-like sounds.

Powerful Beak

The pileated woodpecker’s beak is its power tool. Their beaks are chisel-shaped with a sharp, pointed tip ideal for hammering and digging into wood. The beaks are made of solid, dense bone reinforced with compressed keratin (the same protein found in horns, hooves, and nails). This creates an incredibly strong, hardy beak perfect for heavy-duty hammering.

Drumming on Resonating Trees

Pileated woodpeckers strategically choose hollow trees and branches that help amplify and echo their pecking sounds across the forest. They also prefer trees covered in thick, soft bark like pine snags which resonate loudly. By drumming on these soundboard-like trees, the pileated’s jackhammer-like pecking reverberates at an even louder volume.

Territorial Signaling

Pileated woodpeckers are very territorial and use their drumming as communication. Loud, frequent hammering helps advertise a pileated’s territory, helping ward off intruders. Drumming also helps attract a mate, with a mate often replying with drumming of their own. The louder and faster the drumming, the better for amplifying these territorial signals across the woodlands.

Searching for Beetle Larvae

Boring deep underneath tree bark for food requires pileated woodpeckers to hammer loudly and vigorously. Their main prey are carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae found deep within dead and dying trees. The jackhammer pecking helps chip away thick, hard outer wood to access ant galleries and beetle larvae buried inside the tunnels they create.

Unique Woodpecker Adaptations for Loud Hammering

Pileated woodpeckers have several special anatomical and behavioral adaptations that allow them to hammer so loudly and vigorously without injuring themselves:

• Tongue cushion – Their tongue roots wrap around their skull to cushion their brain.
• Nostril shields – Narrow slit-like nostrils protect from debris.
• Zygodactyl feet – Two toes point forward, two backward for grip.
• Stiff tail feathers – Special feathers help brace them upright on trees.
• Rotational hammering – They hammer and twist to help absorb impact.

Tongue Cushion

Pileated woodpeckers have specially adapted tongue muscles that essentially act as a cushion for their brain. When they peck, their tongue muscle roots wrap tightly around their skull, protecting the brain from the rapid-fire hammering motion. This helps prevent them from getting concussions.

Nostril Shields

Their nostrils are narrow vertical slits, which help block out debris as they hammer into wood. Without nostril shields, they would constantly be inhaling dust and bits of bark into their lungs with each peck.

Zygodactyl Feet

The pileated’s feet have two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing backward (zygodactyl). This creates a strong grip, perfectly adapted for clinging vertically to tree trunks. The grip allows them to precisely control their pecking angle and brace themselves with each hammering strike.

Stiff Tail Feathers

Pileated woodpeckers have very stiff, spine-tipped tail feathers. They use their tails like a prop, pressing the feathers against the tree for added leverage as they hammer. This makes them more stable so they can put full force into their loud jackhammer pecking.

Rotational Hammering

As pileateds hammer into trees, they also twist their bodies slightly with each strike. This rotational motion helps distribute the force from the impact, absorbing some of the blow so they can peck repeatedly without injury.

How Loud is the Pileated’s Hammering?

The pileated woodpecker’s hammering is so loud that it can be heard from over a quarter-mile (half kilometer) away in forested areas. The volume of each peck can reach up to 80-100 decibels from close range. For perspective, that’s as loud as a chainsaw or motorcycle engine revving!

Scientists have even confirmed the incredible force of the pileated’s blows. High-speed recordings show their beaks can hammer up to 20 times per second. The accelerometer readings from these impacts are similar to those from a jackhammer striking concrete.

Decibel Levels of Common Sounds

Unique ‘Laughing’ Call

The pileated woodpecker also has a very distinct, loud call often described as sounding like crazed laughter. Both males and females make this piercing, cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk call to communicate with each other and establish territories.

You can listen to audio clips of the pileated’s laughing call and drumming on websites like The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Once you hear it, this maniacal jungle laughter is an instantly recognizable sound of the wilderness.

Where to See and Hear Pileated Woodpeckers

Your best chance of observing pileated woodpeckers and hearing their jackhammer drumming is in mature forest habitats with lots of dead trees. Some top places include:

• Coniferous forests with pine snags
• Swampy woodlands with hollow trees
• Old hardwood forests with dead timber
• Forests damaged by wildfire, storms, or beetles

Look for pileated woodpecker holes – large, rectangular-shaped cavities excavated in dead trees. Also watch for large trunks covered in long rows of rectangular-shaped holes from their hammering. Early mornings and late afternoons are often the best times to see and hear pileateds actively drumming and calling.

Fun Facts About the Pileated Woodpecker

• Pileated means “capped” referring to their bright red crest.
• Their tongue can reach up to 4 inches past their beak!
• They eat mainly ants and beetle larvae, not wood like some think.
• They make a new nest hole each year rather than reusing one.
• They inspired the cartoon character Woody Woodpecker.

Conclusion

The pileated woodpecker truly deserves its title as the jackhammer of the forest. Its large size, chisel-like beak, and specialized adaptations allow it to hammer against trees with astounding speed and force. The sounds of its relentless pecking and crazed laughter are a wild and exciting part of exploring mature forests. Keep an eye and ear out for these remarkable creatures on your next hike among towering pines, oaks, and cypresses.