Pileated Woodpecker Help (1 Viewer)

Hello all. I am a new and beginning birder. I have recently taken interest in trying to find a local woodpecker; the Pileated Woodpecker. I live in Eastern Kansas, so I should have them around now. Does anybody know of what type of place to search for these birds, behavior that might help me, or anything else that can assist me in finding one of these animals. Thank you.

You want to keep your eyes out in areas where there are a lot of dead tree trunks and stumps as they love tearing into them for the hidden bugs.

I'm fortunate in that I usually get a few that come into the yard during the winter months and they help themselves to the suet feeders.

KCFoggin said:

You want to keep your eyes out in areas where there are a lot of dead tree trunks and stumps as they love tearing into them for the hidden bugs.

I'm fortunate in that I usually get a few that come into the yard during the winter months and they help themselves to the suet feeders.

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Really? I have a few suet feeder, but assumed they would be much too large to eat from one. Even the flickers seem awkward on them. Is there a certain type of suet feeder for larger woodpeckers. Thanks for the help.

I use the small square ones that hold one suet cake and they are hung on the trunks of my pine trees so they lay flat against the trunk.

Hi, KCZoo Fan - My mother occasionally has Pileateds coming to her peanut butter log. As KC says, they feed mostly on dead trees, both standing and on the ground. To find enough dead trees, they cover a large territory of mostly older forests. Consequently, you may not be able to find them even though the habitat looks good. In our own area in western NC, which was logged 20 years ago, we still don't have them on a regular basis but are happy to see them when they do show up or fly over. We would love to have them at OUR peanut butter log!

Steve