Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos

   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #11  
Many years ago I took a picture of what I thought was a Pileated Woodpecker. Showing to my friends. One said - No, no. That is a Red Headed Woodpecker. Red Headed is much smaller than Pileated.

So....... after 40+ years - - no signs of Pileated Woodpeckers around these parts.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #13  
We had one of those dinosaur birds working on a fir tree down by the creek. I heard it first, then found it working on the tree. Big square hole and large chips on the ground. Of course i didn't have my phone or camera handy.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #14  
Thanks for the video. I told my wife about it and she had just watched it. We have Pileated woodpeckers here. Behind and near our house is a tall alder snag. A few years ago a Pileated woodpecker pair built a nest. Out the window of the master bedroom, which is on the second story, we could watch almost at eye level the babies sticking their heads out of the hole pecked in the tree. When asking for food they sure make a racket! Kinda sounds like rolling ball bearings around in a steel can. Very loud.
We are lucky in that we have 5 different types of woodpeckers here at our place on Whidbey Island. Small, medium, and large. In descending size we have the Pileated, Flicker, Hairy, Downy, and Sap Sucker. There may even be a sixth but my wife and I can't remember for sure.
Eric
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos
  • Thread Starter
#15  
Yes indeed, they are noisy, noisy and large birds and like others have stated, look like they might be 1 million years old. We also have the Flicker, Hairy, Downy, and Sap Suckers here.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #16  
We have a big dead Eucalyptus on our land that a Pileated likes to drum on. It's got the right resonance to make the sound carry. I can hear it even when I'm a couple miles away if the wind's not blowing. There's another Pileated within a few miles and I can sometimes hear that one answering back.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #17  
My wife and I took care of my mother the last five years of her life, moving her from a senior's apartment complex to our home. We set up some bird feeders including a post with suet feeders on it for her to enjoy. The pileated's regularly came plus they would bring their young to the feeder. She was thrilled as were we! Pretty much every day, I would see/hear them on that property.

We moved 25 miles west but within the same county six years ago. For some reason, the pileated's do not frequent our suet feeders. They do come for the berries when in season on our Magnolia tree right by the feeders. I also see them picking away at dead trees and stumps around the property. I do see them flying around on occasion but no where near the amount of sightings at the previous location.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos
  • Thread Starter
#18  
We have lots and lots of pileated's here but rarely do they go to our suet feeders. I'd guess they only feed at them while under stress.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #19  
I would not think that there was anything to stress them out at the last place? Plenty of trees including a preserved wood lot that bordered us that had the local wood cutters salivating. There were always plenty of standing or blown down trees that were well decayed that I would have thought would provide a steady supply of food.

Having spent a good deal of time hiking solo and observing wildlife in a number of locations, I heard them more than saw them and then not that often. I was elated and blown away with the constant activity at the previous place.
 
   / Pileated woodpeeker facts and photos #20  
We have a big dead Eucalyptus on our land that a Pileated likes to drum on.
Had the same here right next to the house--Within about 8 feet of the house. I cut the tree down a few weeks ago. Some of the bark was separating so I started to pull large chunks of it off. Imagine my surprise when huge yellow jackets and scorpions started falling out. It was kind of chilly, so the wasps didn't fly. I ran and got a can of wasp spray. o_O
 
 
Top