Last updated on April 19th, 2022 at 12:41 am
The Pileated Woodpecker is a common yet spectacular bird that plays an important role in the ecosystem. Whether you’re an experienced birder or are new to the world of birds, there’s plenty to know about this species.
Here are 11 things you should know about the Pileated Woodpecker:
1. What Is the Pileated Woodpecker’s Favorite Food?
The Pileated Woodpecker’s favorite food is carpenter ants, which they catch by pecking through fallen logs and dead trees, where they live.
However, they also eat suet, and suet feeders are a good way to attract Pileated Woodpeckers to your yard.
A sheltered cage feeder like the Sewanta Bird Feeder from Amazon is a perfect example of a good feeder for woodpeckers.
Pileated Woodpeckers also sometimes supplement their diets with fruit and nuts, in addition to eating insects and suet.
2. How Does the Pileated Woodpecker Benefit Other Species?
One of the primary ways the Pileated Woodpecker benefits other species is by creating nesting space.
When they peck dead trees and logs for food, they leave rectangular spaces behind that other species use for nesting.
The following are all species that can nest in a hole left by a Pileated Woodpecker:
- Eastern Screech-Owl
- Swifts
- Wood Duck
- Eastern Bluebird
- Bats
- Pine Martens
- Raccoons and other mammals
Pileated Woodpeckers are also helpful in that they control insect populations. For example, they keep wood beetles at bay.
3. Where Does the Pileated Woodpecker Live?
The Pileated Woodpecker lives in forested areas on the eastern side of the United States, the northwestern coast of the United States, and Canada.
They do not migrate, but can be found in these regions year-round.
Typically you can find woodpeckers near the bottom of trees, as they tend to forage on downed logs and close to the base of trees.
Pileated Woodpeckers can live in all kinds of forests, including conifer forests and deciduous forests.
Although they prefer old-growth forests, they can now be found in second-growth woods.
Adapting to life in second-growth forests has been key to the Pileated Woodpecker’s survival through the development of urban and suburban areas and large-scale deforestation.
4. Does the Male or Female Pileated Woodpecker Incubate Eggs?
Both the male and female Pileated Woodpecker incubate the eggs.
The female incubates most of the day, and the male incubates at night and during part of the day.
When the young hatch, both parents feed the nestlings by regurgitation.
Both parents watch over and feed the young for about 2-3 months after the young hatch.
5. How Can You Tell Male and Female Pileated Woodpeckers Apart?
Male and female pileated woodpeckers look very similar to each other and can be difficult to tell apart even for an experienced birder.
Both have black bodies, white accents, and a red crest on the top of their heads.
However, males have a red malar stripe on the side of their faces, whereas females have a black stripe.
6. Where Does the Pileated Woodpecker Get Its Name?
The Pileated Woodpecker comes from the Latin word “pileatus,” which means “capped.”
It refers simply to the bright red crest that caps the head of both male and female Pileated Woodpeckers. This feature is unique to this species.
The term woodpecker applies to several different species and refers to their habit of pecking through dead trees and logs to access food.
7. Do Pileated Woodpeckers Share Territory?
Pileated Woodpeckers share their territory with a partner all year round, but they don’t share roosting space.
They roost separately while sleeping at night because the cavities they sleep in aren’t big enough to accommodate two birds of their size.
Both partners will peck roosting spots near each other and then share territory throughout the day.
8. Is the Pileated Woodpecker a Threatened Species?
The Pileated Woodpecker is not a threatened species, but it is impacted by human development and climate change.
It has remained common despite deforestation and the threats involved with human development, such as collisions with windows on buildings and predatory cats.
Its range has shifted and will continue to shift northward and eastward as the climate changes.
9. Will a Pileated Woodpecker Use a Nest Box?
Pileated Woodpeckers will use a nest box as long as you prepare it properly. You’ll need to pack the nest box completely with sawdust, tamping it in so that it’s full.
That way, the woodpecker can peck its way into the box and make a cavity for itself.
Once the nest box is ready, you should place it in the middle of a hardwood forest, not near the edge of a clearing.
Nest boxes are helpful in forests that lack old trees and may have few resources for Pileated Woodpeckers.
You can expect the Pileated Woodpecker to set up in a nest box in the early summer, usually around May. They nest throughout the summer months until about July.
10. What Sounds Does a Pileated Woodpecker Make?
The main sound that a Pileated Woodpecker makes is its drumming sound.
These birds prefer to drum on resonant surfaces that will make loud noises, as the volume of their drumming will determine how much territory they can claim.
Pileated Woodpeckers can also make several other noises, which can be categorized as the following:
- Churrs
- Purrs
- Chatters
- Rattles
- Screeches
You can tell the Pileated Woodpecker apart from other species because its voice is deeper, partly due to its larger size.
11. How Does the Pileated Woodpecker Avoid Brain Injury?
The Pileated Woodpecker pecks at wood with great force, at least 1,000 times the force of gravity.
It can do this safely thanks to the strength of its neck muscles and how its skull and tongue are structured.
The tongue wraps around the head, and the cranium has limited excess space so that it doesn’t move around.