Pileated Woodpecker

I have only seen this bird twice since I have moved to Door County, each time it was in the yard of two of my critter clients, I couldn’t believe my eyes, that is up until my last day off! While hanging out with my husband/editor in out front yard I was so excited when this bird came to our little bird sanctuary.

The sanctuary was created in our front yard, to attract the feathered wild life just under our soft needle pine trees. An area where we have my Mom’s bird bath filled with water, two bird feeders, one of which we can place suet blocks on the side of the feeder and a Sheppard’s pole so we can hang our Hummingbird [also see Kritter Facts] feeder as well as thistle bags for the finches that come to our yard.

I think my excitement expressed to my husband as he jumped up frightened the bird away.

Fact:

• “Dryocopus pileatus” a large North American Woodpecker found throughout eastern North America and also found in the Pacific Northwest and the Prairies provinces of Canada.
• They are mostly found along the major river valleys and costal plains. Preferring large old or even dead trees to live in.
• They are the largest North American Woodpeckers.
• They are crow sized with a long tail and neck about 16-19 1/2 inches long. With a wingspan of 26-30 inches and weigh in at 8.8-12.3oz.
• They are mostly black with a white striped that extends from their beak to their flank. Both male and female have a red crest that will be raised when excited or alarmed.
• They are primarily insectivorous. Their favorite food is the carpenter ant but they also eat beetle larvae, acorns, beechnuts, grapes, cherries, dogwood berries and other fruits, and nuts. They will spend much of their time on the ground tearing apart rotten logs in search of ants and beetles.
• Their territories may be as large as 150-200 acres pending the availability of suitable nesting trees.
• Both the male and the female will stay together in a shared territory throughout the year, returning to the same area and often the same tree each year.
• Their nesting holes are about 3 1/2 inches across at the opening and 10-24 inches deep.
• In the southern areas they will usually lay their eggs in March and in the North about May.
• The female will lay between 3-5 eggs.
• Both parents will incubate the eggs. The male will say in the nest over night while the female will roost nearby and will resume incubation during the day
• Ther eggs are a plain white and will hatch in 15-18 days.
• They have been seen moving their eggs which have fallen off the nest to another site.
• The hatchings are born blind and naked and are fed regurgitated food by both parents.
• At about 9-10 days the baby’s eyes are open and their feather sheaths begin to open. At 15 days they are able to look out of the nest.
• At about 27 days the babies will leave their nest but, will remain with their parents through the summer.
• They are losing their nesting places and territories due to suburban development and growth.
• Efforts need to be taken to protect woodlands so this shy bird has a future in the United States and Canada[1]
• They are not currently listed as endangered or threatened but they are a protected species.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_woodpecker

http://www.birdhouses101.com/Pileated-Woodpecker.asp

http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/pileated_woodpecker_info.htm

Other sites to visit:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pileated-woodpecker.html

http://wild-birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/all_about_the_pileated_woodpecker

http://www.pileatedwoodpeckercentral.com/information.htm

http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/birds/2260–Pileated+Woodpecker

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5960/pileat.html

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Wo

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[1] http://wild-birds.suite101.com/article.cfm/all_about_the_pileated_woodpecker

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