Pileated woodpecker

[MoDoug]

Pileated Woodpeckers are impressive birds, up to 16” from tip of bill to tip of tail, but I really hated watching this one tearing into one of my walnut trees, in search of whatever has infested it... it's amazing how these things can break down a tree. This has always been one of my favorite trees, at least till the nuts drop.

 

[jatoxico]

That's a proper woodpecker

 

[Grizzerbear]

Boy I've seen a bunch of them this year. My dad and grandpa always called them indian hens. They definitely have a distinct call they make that is unmistakable.

 

[SpaceBus]

I don't think we get the big pileated woodpeckers up here, but we do get the smaller mostly white peckers.

 

[peakbagger]

I get them up in northern NH, they definitely love to tear into the local softwoods. I dont see then in hardwoods as often I think carpenter ants are their favorite food. Their call reminds me of the background sounds on old Tarzan movies. When they are mating mode they are quite noisy but once they nest they are silent around the nest.

If I see a woodpecker hole in truck I always assume a rotten core loaded with ants.

 

[Grizzerbear]

I have two power poles that have nearly been completely bored through by them. I could likely put my fist in the hole it's so big but its half way up the pole. I see a lot of them here and they are the main reason I don't cut much standing dead red oak trees. I think they favor them hear since red oak tends to get soft when it dies. Softer than white or post oak anyways. I really enjoy watching them. I probably need to call the electric company though soon lol.

 

[NickW]

Love watching them hammer a tree! Not wood chips, wood chunks... I see them here in both SE & north central WI.

 

[firefighterjake]

Love watching the pileated woodpeckers go to town . . . had one bore several huge holes in a pine tree . . . which indicated to me that the tree needed to come down.

 

[Bad LP]

I don't think we get the big pileated woodpeckers up here, but we do get the smaller mostly white peckers.

Yes you have them.

 

[firefighterjake]

Yes you have them.

Along with downy and hairy woodpeckers.

 

[SpaceBus]

Yes you have them.

Neat, haven't seen any yet.

 

[NickW]

In my experience downy, hairy, and red belly are fairly "tame"... readily coming to suet feeders.

Pileated and red heads are a little more reclusive. If you live near heavy woods, you might get them in to suet if it's in some cover and not wide open.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Their call reminds me of the background sounds on old Tarzan movies.

Definitely. They are very loud and sound a lot like a monkey.

 

[WoodScrounger]

I hear and see them in the bush around here when I’m out hunting .

 

[paulnlee]

We get them here. Last year I was on the tread mill for my afternoon walk, out the window is a huge maple and there he/she is pecking away. Before I finished my 1/2 hour walk he/she had a 3'' hole in the tree. Truly an amazing bird

 

[jatoxico]

We have the all the smaller varieties including the smaller red heads but apparently no breeding pileated, Apparently those who study these things are not sure why since we have the habitat. They used to peck my house and my neighbors. I was afraid they knew something I didn't but I guess the cedar shingles were just peck-able because I never found any bugs. Loud when they hit the gutters, mating call?

 

[PaulOinMA]

I had two pleated woodpeckers spiraling together up and down a large pine in the woods. They would get to the top, touch beaks, then do the same down the tree. Touch beaks, then back up. Went on for about 20 minutes repeating up and down. Fascinating to watch. I took a lot of pictures. Will post some tomorrow when I am on my laptop.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Has anyone that is into birding ever heard of the behaviour I observed? It really was fascinating to watch. I should ask the MA Audubon. They have a place nearby, Drumlin Farm.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I hadn’t really seen any until I started hiking with my dogs daily. The more time in the woods you spend, the more you’ll see them. Almost always hear the first then see them.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Anyone else think of Woody Woodpecker and his sound when you see one?

 

[xman23]

We have a few seed feeders and suet for the woodpeckers. The pileated are very strange. They've been to the feeder for years, but land on a tree peaking around the side for many minutes before going to the suet.

I think what you saw was them searching the tree for bugs, then feeding each other. I've seen it a lot with the young ones.

 

[Grizzerbear]

Anyone else think of Woody Woodpecker and his sound when you see one?

O yea. Woody the woodpecker was derived from this species actually.

I heard one this evening as I was getting some firewood off the front porch. Must have been 2 to 300 yards away off in the holler making their distinct monkey sounding call. Love it.

 

[fvhowler]

We have a few pileated woodpeckers around the house as well. They always announce their presence. They seem more common now than 40 years ago. They love big timber...oak, hickory, pines, etc... I remember the first one I ever saw and remember how impressive was.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I now see pileateds maybe 100 days a year here in south central Indiana. Plenty of woodpeckers right in the city, where yards are .2 to .3 acres. It could be in part because of 3 severe droughts since 2010. A lot of dead trees, especially red maples. Also a lot of ash and 60-year-old silver maples around here, and those are dying.

I've seen some around 17" here. A little bigger twice -- on Mackinac Island, MI and near the cabins at Mammoth Cave National Park. So big I was trying to figure out what duck was red, black, and white.

As a child, 50-55 years ago, we never saw them.

 

[MoDoug]

My poor walnut tree is doomed and has been for about 10 years, when it was first hit by lightening. Now seeing this Jurassic looking bird peck away at it tells me I have some more walnut wood in my future. Bringing this one down will be a little tricky as it's near the power lines to our house, and my wood racks. Nature at work, this planet at it's most basic of constantly breaking down and rebuilding itself.