I’ve seen Pileated Woodpeckers off and on all year. There was a pair at the Rattray that decided to tear apart some logs on the ground right in front of me…in the deep shade. There was a female there on another visit who worked steadily on a dead Ash tree trunk…on the opposite side of the trunk to that facing the path and me. A duo of youngsters landed near me while I was watching a Broad-winged Hawk in eastern Ontario this summer and one perched in silhouette for a minute before they moved on calling…down into a private home’s yard. I greatly enjoyed all of these sightings but I always regretted the lack of a decent photo or two. So yesterday, when a Pileated put in a brief appearance overhead in a tree along the river road path at Riverwood Conservancy, I took a few proof photos but fully expected it to move off away from the paths and therefore out of camera sight.
To my surprise, and great pleasure, this male decided to humour me. Instead of moving inland, it moved and stayed on one of a group of 6 trees fairly close to the path leading up towards the main boardwalks. It was hunting and it explored a few dead and dying Ash trees, a willow and a Manitoba Maple while I watched.
Is This a Male or a Female Pileated Woodpecker?
At first I thought this was a female Pileated. Unlike many woodpeckers, both males and females have the bright red crest. The males, though, have a red “mustache” line coming back from their bill along the side of their head. On the females, this line is black. Because of the backlit conditions when I first saw this bird, the ‘stache looked black. Later checking, though showed it was red.
I could have looked at the forehead over the eyes, too. On the male, it’s red. On the female, it’s grey. I didn’t know that at the time, though.
The Emerald Ash Borer Brings a Bonanza of Dead and Dying Trees to the Forest
Three, well, five actually, of the trees this bird worked on while I watched at the two locations were dead or dying Ash trees. It had an interesting technique. The Pileated would stay still, head cocked slightly, bill open. Then it would move and pry and flip off a piece of bark, or drill an extremely short hole into the tree trunk.
For those of you familiar with the huge rectangular gouges a Pileated can make if it really wants to get into a tree, this delicate approach might be surprising.
From time to time, it switched trees. Only when it flew did the startlingly large patches of white on the underside of the wings and the small but noticeable patches of white on the top of the wings show.
What’s In This Knothole?
He also spent a long time doing something to this knothole. For several minutes, the bird stuck its head deep into the hole, then withdrew it and swallowed, only to repeat the action. I’m not sure if it was eating something from inside, or drinking rainwater collected in the upwards tilting hole. It certainly seemed to find that whichever it was satisfied it.
While the Pileated was working away, it occasionally called but just a quiet mutter. I’m pretty sure I heard a reply from uphill but I’m not positive. For sure, I did hear the Red-bellied Woodpeckers in the area. One even flew by briefly but did not seem bothered to have this much larger bird in its territory. I suspect the feeding patterns of the two sizes of woodpeckers differ enough that they don’t compete.
I believe this is its tongue sticking out but I’m not 100% sure.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen or heard Pileateds at Riverwood but it was the longest time I’ve got to watch one, undisturbed, as it worked. In fact, it kept foraging despite a steady stream of dogs, joggers, bicycles, and even on one occasion a person carrying a radio blaring dance music passing very nearby on the path. So I hope I’ll get another good look at one in the future: they are very interesting birds and impressive to watch at work.
Related Reading
- Are Pileated Woodpeckers Increasing in Numbers?
- What Large Brown Spotted Bird is Feeding on My Lawn?
- Hairy or Downy?
- Not Every Emerald Insect Is an Ash Borer
Join In
Have you seen any Pileated Woodpeckers this year? Please share your sighting with a comment.
Great pictures, Bet! This has been a great year for the elusive Pileated Woodpecker in Riverwood. So many sightings. Pity some of my bird watching friends had never had the good fortune to spot one in their lives. I for one had seen it a couple of times in Riverwood, only to let it slip by when I went for my binoculars.
Yes, for such a large bird they are surprisingly good at keeping out of sight. I hope your friends will get to see one this winter when they’re a bit more visible. With the Ash trees dying I think we’re seeing an increase in numbers that may help.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I just had one land on the railing of my back deck. I have been feeding cornbread with the normal birdseed to augment the bird feeders.
Beautiful Big Bird!
Wow! That must have meant a good view!
we saw our 1st sighting of pilated woodpecker today. Very exciting, and was glad this article posted with such great photos for comparison. Thanks for posting. His visit was very brief but most enjoyable for us to watch.
Glad you saw one–they are so surprisingly large and colourful!
Can this bird be in Alberta spotted one here never seen this woodpecker before?
They are found in parts of Alberta
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/maps-range
One limit is that they need a fair number of trees nearby to get enough insects to eat.
We have a pair that live in our woods….it’s a treat to see them….usually hear them first!!! Loved the pics!
Glad you have some to admire so close to home!
I just took a video of a large male in a tree next to my apartment. I didn’t realize they were rare until I read it here. He’s been around a few years now, but this is the closest I’ve seen him in my immediate area here in Fort Myers, Florida.
How wonderful to have one you can watch so close to home!
I had two in my yard (woods) today in Apalachicola, Florida.
That would have been something to see! Thanks!
I saw my first pair today. I’ve been bird watching for years, but this is a first for me. I live in Bassett, VA.
That makes it a good day! They are wonderful birds to watch but they are wary of dogs and sometimes people.
I just watched as he tore up a tree stump in my back yard in Rehoboth Delaware
They sure can make the chips fly!
Oh My- for the first time ever, we saw 2 of these huge beautiful birds. Sadly couldn’t get a pic. One checked out the dead tree by the water and female flew over to the bird feeder. Then they were gone. Hope they come back and stay awhile!
8.10 pm in Gladwin, MI.
Sorry for the slow reply–I hope they come visiting again!
I just saw two of these woodpeckers dancing around a large oak tree near our rv site. We are located in Auburndale, FL. I was lucky enough to get a few photos.
Sounds like a great view from a good camping site!
Thanks for info in your post. I have one in my back yard in south Texas. See it several times a day for past 2 weeks. Did not know what it was. First time seeing it here.
Saw one in southern NH this past week (didn’t know what type of woodpecker it was but he was big}. Went in to get my phone for a picture and I first decided to video from inside. Got a video of it hammering away from inside the house. Glad I got that because by the time I went outside a Fedex truck drove over and it flew away. Hasn’t been back. Left lots of wood chips on the ground and one large and 2 small holes in a pine tree. Why do they drill holes like that? Just searching for bugs?
Most of the time they are looking for insects and ants to eat. More rarely, they may be testing a tree for making a nest hole. The oblong holes are for feeding where they knock out a big section of wood to get at what’s inside. They are quite a bird to see in action–I’m glad you got to see one!