Pileated Woodpecker (1 Viewer)

Caron · Dec 9, 2004

About 20 feet from our back door we have a raven with a natural spring and woods beyond. I was sitting in the adirondacks over coffee admiring the view and listening to the soft song of the chickidees and goldfinches when I heard this hard loud pounding...too loud for the woodpeckers I knew of and thought it was a deer rubbing his antlers. When I got the binoculars to see in the direction of hense it came, I spotted his magnificient red 'comb'! What an amazing bird!!! I was alone and cameraless and too afraid to run to get it in fear he would be gone. I got to witness him for about 15 minutes hammering on a fallen pine before he took to flight of which was a wonderful view as well..

KC Foggin · Dec 9, 2004

Caron said:
About 20 feet from our back door we have a raven with a natural spring and woods beyond. I was sitting in the adirondacks over coffee admiring the view and listening to the soft song of the chickidees and goldfinches when I heard this hard loud pounding...too loud for the woodpeckers I knew of and thought it was a deer rubbing his antlers. When I got the binoculars to see in the direction of hense it came, I spotted his magnificient red 'comb'! What an amazing bird!!! I was alone and cameraless and too afraid to run to get it in fear he would be gone. I got to witness him for about 15 minutes hammering on a fallen pine before he took to flight of which was a wonderful view as well..

Now this is one bird I do not take for granted. I am supremely lucky to have 3 that visit my yard on a near daily basis and I still find it hard to swallow while watching them.

Katy Penland · Dec 9, 2004

You two are soooooo lucky! I haven't seen a pileated in years, since last time I was in Washington state, in fact. Send a couple over my way, wouldja?

KC Foggin · Dec 9, 2004

Which brings me to a question Katy. Up until a few weeks ago I had only see the one male. Now it looks as though I have male, female and a hint of a male on the third. Do the offspring stay with the parents for awhile in this species?

Caron · Dec 9, 2004

KCFoggin said:
Which brings me to a question Katy. Up until a few weeks ago I had only see the one male. Now it looks as though I have male, female and a hint of a male on the third. Do the offspring stay with the parents for awhile in this species?

KC, to be in your shoes! I count my lucky stars for seeing the one I did and only hope I get the chance to see another again. With being inside mostly these days, I could be missing him more then I know. If I hadnt ventured outside when I did, I would have never seen him. I hear they have a wide territory and once spotted, the chances of seeing the same one again is rare. KC, your 3 daily is really something! Take some pics of them please...I really loved seeing this guy..

Katy Penland · Dec 9, 2004

KCFoggin said:
Which brings me to a question Katy. Up until a few weeks ago I had only see the one male. Now it looks as though I have male, female and a hint of a male on the third. Do the offspring stay with the parents for awhile in this species?

Had to look this one up in my trusty Sibley's "Bird Life and Behavior."

Unfortunately, there's not much specifically about the Pileated, but about the woodpecker family in general: "Fledglings may remain with parents until fall, even if not dependent on them; in species that are cooperative breeders, young can remain as helpers for years." Sibley goes on to say that only Red-cockaded and Acorn woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, so your young pileated male may be just late leaving his natal territory...?

Our Lewis's young stayed with the parents all summer and fall, and all left together. The young had complete adult plumage by the time they left, but until then, it was great fun to watch them chase each other away from the suet cake and the peanuts. Man, did they love the in-shell, roasted peanuts!

samuel walker · Dec 9, 2004

Log Cock or Wood Kate I love pileateds our headbanger monster.About as close as we'll likely get to an Ivorybilled.My neighbor has a dead tree on the property line we already have Redbelly and Hairy WP I'm begging him not to cut it down in the hope the monster will come in.Plant more dead trees?
Sam

Marianne Reid · Dec 9, 2004

Caron said:
About 20 feet from our back door we have a raven with a natural spring and woods beyond. I was sitting in the adirondacks over coffee admiring the view and listening to the soft song of the chickidees and goldfinches when I heard this hard loud pounding...too loud for the woodpeckers I knew of and thought it was a deer rubbing his antlers. When I got the binoculars to see in the direction of hense it came, I spotted his magnificient red 'comb'! What an amazing bird!!! I was alone and cameraless and too afraid to run to get it in fear he would be gone. I got to witness him for about 15 minutes hammering on a fallen pine before he took to flight of which was a wonderful view as well..

Pileated Woodpecker's are so gorgeous! There are actually none south of Rondeau, Ontario so I hardly ever see them. One showed up at Pelee in spring 2003....I couldn't beleive it!!! It was the bird of the year!!! Beautiful!! But I wish I could see them more often!!

KC Foggin · Dec 9, 2004

Caron said:
KC, to be in your shoes! I count my lucky stars for seeing the one I did and only hope I get the chance to see another again. With being inside mostly these days, I could be missing him more then I know. If I hadnt ventured outside when I did, I would have never seen him. I hear they have a wide territory and once spotted, the chances of seeing the same one again is rare. KC, your 3 daily is really something! Take some pics of them please...I really loved seeing this guy..

Hi Caron.

Sorry for the delay but it has been a rather crazy day. Here's a pic of one I took this weekend. Not a great shot but good enough for me

KC Foggin · Dec 9, 2004

Katy Penland said:
Had to look this one up in my trusty Sibley's "Bird Life and Behavior." Unfortunately, there's not much specifically about the Pileated, but about the woodpecker family in general: "Fledglings may remain with parents until fall, even if not dependent on them; in species that are cooperative breeders, young can remain as helpers for years." Sibley goes on to say that only Red-cockaded and Acorn woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, so your young pileated male may be just late leaving his natal territory...?

Our Lewis's young stayed with the parents all summer and fall, and all left together. The young had complete adult plumage by the time they left, but until then, it was great fun to watch them chase each other away from the suet cake and the peanuts. Man, did they love the in-shell, roasted peanuts!

I couldn't find anythig definitive in Sibley's either. I thought maybe you would have an inside track though

Well, we are supposed to hit the deep freeze Christmas week so let's see if this scatters them. Thanks Katy.

Marianne Reid · Dec 10, 2004

KCFoggin said:
I couldn't find anythig definitive in Sibley's either. I thought maybe you would have an inside track though Well, we are supposed to hit the deep freeze Christmas week so let's see if this scatters them. Thanks Katy.

Hi!
According to the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, family groups of Pileated Woodpeckers stay together into September...Hope that helps!

KC Foggin · Dec 10, 2004

Marianne Reid said:
Hi!
According to the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, family groups of Pileated Woodpeckers stay together into September...Hope that helps!

Thanks Marianne. Well, seeing as though we are into December, I'm not quite sure what to make of the trio then.

Caron · Dec 10, 2004

KCFoggin said:
Hi Caron.

Sorry for the delay but it has been a rather crazy day. Here's a pic of one I took this weekend. Not a great shot but good enough for me

Thank you KC! Just takes me breath away! Do mind if I save this image? Im trying to keep a picture log of the birds I have seen here..I hope I get to see this guy here again. Everytime I head out now I listen for him but nothing..

Caron · Dec 10, 2004

KC, is this photo of the male?

samuel walker · Dec 10, 2004

While walking in the forest near the nature center my wife and I heard the tell tale drumming.She remarked if carpenters were workingg at the center.We rounded a corner and she looked up to see the magnificent woodpecker that she quickly dubbed the Black and Decker bird.
sam

Katy Penland · Dec 10, 2004

samuel walker said:
...the Black and Decker bird. sam

:clap: That's not only accurate, it's a lot easier to learn to pronounce than "pileated."

KC Foggin · Dec 10, 2004

Caron said:
KC, is this photo of the male?

Morning Caron.

Yup, this is a male and yes you may copy it.

wings · Mar 14, 2005

A pileated woodpecker used to be an annual visitor to my home in Sebastopol for two or three years and yes, you could hear its loud presence. It took large chunks of redwood bark off our redwood tree.

Last week, I heard the familiar kek-kek-kek call again (this time in Santa Rosa) and looked in the direction of the bird call, and there was a pileated woodpecker pecking away on a telephone pole. It flew away before i could rush in to grab my camera for a photo.

buckskin hawk · Apr 18, 2005

I bird in a pecan grove behind my housing addition weekly. Pecans are great for woodpeckers and it holds a regular pileated which hangs out around the outskirts. It is usually spotted pecking on the top of the telephone poles. I have also seen it in the woods nearby.

Inside the pecan grove is a pair of red headed with passing Hairy, downy and red bellied. It is a woodpecker heaven-I guess. The pileated doesn't seem to enter the grove just hang around it. The others enter the grove and the red headed have a nest. What woodpecker in it's right mind would run off a pileated. I haven't seen any of the peckers chase another pecker like the sparrows. Do they?

maersk · Apr 28, 2005

ive seen this bird a few times. i have property (10 acres) in the UP and they are pretty abundant up there. ive also seen a few in florida

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