Pileated Woodpecker pecking a fence post.

Pileated Woodpecker

The Pileated Woodpecker’s latin name is Dryocopus pileatus. It is native to North America. The Pileated Woodpecker’s preferred habitat is mature forests, heavily wooded parks, mature hardwood trees, and thick forests. Their breeding habitat is forested areas across Canada, the eastern United States, and parts of the Pacific Coast. Their breeding season is between March and July. While the male normally selects the nest location, both the Pileated Woodpecker female and male will build the Pileated Woodpecker nest with the male doing most of the excavation. The female will lay 3-5 white eggs with 4 eggs being most common. Eggs will be incubated for 15-16 days by both the male and female birds. Both male and female will also feed the baby Pileated Woodpeckers. After 24 – 28 days the juvenile Pileated Woodpeckers will leave the nest.

The Pileated Woodpecker sound is typically a high, clear series of piping calls that lasts several seconds. The Pileated Woodpecker call can also be a shorter call that sounds like wuk, wuk or cuk, cuk to indicate a territory boundary or to give an alarm. Pileated Woodpeckers (also known as the Pileated Red Crowned Woodpecker) are non-migratory birds. Their population status is of least concern. The Pileated Woodpecker is found on Coal Creek Farm year round. If you search for Pileated Woodpecker images or for a picture of a Pileated Woodpecker you will discover that it is a big, dashing bird that is mostly black with white stripes on the face and neck and a flaming red crest. The male Pileated Woodpecker has a red stripe on its cheek. Their diet consists of ants, other insects, fruit, nuts, termites, beetles, and larvae. The Pileated Woodpecker is the second largest woodpecker in the United States.

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