A crow-sized woodpecker with a flaming red crest, the pileated is North America's largest extant woodpecker and a keystone forest engineer — its rectangular excavations house dozens of secondary species.

Also called: Pileated, Logcock, Carpenter Bird

Native status: Native; widespread in mature forests

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 40–49 cm (16–19 in); wingspan 66–75 cm
Weight250–400 g (9–14 oz)
LifespanWild typically 5–9 years; oldest documented 13
OrderPiciformes
FamilyPicidae

§ Encyclopedia

The pileated woodpecker is a large, crow-sized woodpecker with a prominent red crest, white neck stripe, and a mostly black body. This woodpecker is native to North America, where it is the largest confirmed extant woodpecker species and the third-largest extant species of woodpecker in the world, after the great slaty woodpecker and the black woodpecker. It inhabits deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific Coast. This woodpecker is primarily an insectivore, eating insects that live in trees; it is famous for making large, nearly rectangular carvings into trees, which are used to extract prey inside the tree or to make a nest. The species has a large range and an increasing population, causing it to be categorized as a species of "least concern" by the IUCN.

Source: Wikipedia — Pileated woodpecker Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Crow-sized black woodpecker with white neck stripes, white wing linings (visible in flight), and brilliant red flame-shaped crest. Males also have red mustache stripe.

Similar species. Ivory-billed Woodpecker (presumed extinct; white wing patches above as well as below). American Crow (no crest, no white). Black-backed Woodpecker (much smaller).

Voice. Loud ringing "wuk-wuk-wuk-wuk" call audible 1+ km; rolling drum.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Carpenter ants (primary, ~60% of diet), beetle larvae, fruits, nuts, occasionally seeds.

Behavior. Largest woodpecker in North America (with the possible extinction of Ivory-billed). Excavates large rectangular feeding holes — sometimes 30 cm deep — that other species (squirrels, owls, ducks, bats) later use for nesting and shelter. Pairs remain together year-round on permanent territories of 60–80 hectares.

§ Range

Mature forests across Canada, eastern US, and the Pacific Northwest

§ Habitat

Mature deciduous and mixed forests with large dead and dying trees

§ Threats

Loss of mature forest, removal of dead "snag" trees that provide nest sites and food.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the pileated woodpecker is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Leave standing dead trees on your property. Support old-growth and mature-forest protection. Avoid pesticides on lawns near forest edges.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • USDA Forest Service
  • National Audubon Society
  • IUCN Red List 2018