- Dryocopus pileatus
Hylatomus pileatus
Identification
L. 40-48 cm (15¾-19 in); Weight 250-350 g
- Crow-sized
- Black
- Red crest
- White line down the sides of the throat
- Red malar stripe and forehead in male
- Black malar stripe and pale forehead in female
Juvenile like adult except for dark eye
Confusion Species
Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Imperial Woodpecker, both of which are thought to be extinct
Distribution
Canada, the eastern United States and parts of the Pacific coast.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- D. p. pileatus in south-east US, (Illinois to Florida).
- D. p. abieticola in the rest of the range (south British Columbia to central California and north-eastern US)
Habitat
Mature forests
Behaviour
Breeding
Nests are excavated in the cavities of dead trees.
Diet
Includes insects (especially beetle larvae and carpenter ants) as well as fruits, berries and nuts. Large, oval shaped cavities act as clues to the bird's presence.
Voice
A loud, wild kekekekekekekekekeke
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Pileated Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 January 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker
External Links
