Pileated Woodpecker

El Toro · Feb 24, 2013

We had one of these woodpeckers pecking on some dead limbs in our maple tree. Years ago we had
them living behind us until they filled it with homes. They make a lot of noise. My wife took several pictures, but we don't have a telescoping lens and the pictures aren't clear.

My former retired co-worker has a pair near him and raise a pair of chicks each year. They're about the size of a crow. I downloaded a good picture. Hal

RayP(MI) · Feb 24, 2013

I was sitting under atree, hunting one time, when one of those decided to remodel the tree above me... I was covered with wood chips and sawdust in seconds! Waht a woodpewcker!!

Waltmo · Feb 24, 2013

Looks like he's shaking the tree and fence real good.

-)

El Toro · Feb 24, 2013

He made some large wood chips. Hal

RickieBlue · Feb 24, 2013

Several years ago I was in the woods with the 4 wheeler and there was a pile of big wood chips in the trail, I looked up and here is what I saw! The picture doesn't do it justice...I could put my fist in this hole very easily. About 4 years ago I heard a tin drumming noise outside by the road. I went out and a woodpecker was on the post of my mailbox pecking on the metal...he would peck 4 or 5 times and then move down and look up at the base of the mailbox. Well, we all know insects like to live in and under our mailboxes and this bird knew that. He would walk around to the otherside and do the same thing. He did this about 6 or 8 times before he left. Then I heard him on a neighbors mailbox about 5 minutes later..about 800 feet down the road. I was pretty amazed. I did get a video of it one day, searching now. If I find it I will post it on youtube and leave a link!

NEsota · Feb 24, 2013

Saw one in our Minneapolis neighborhood a couple decades ago, they are a rare bird here.

El Toro · Feb 24, 2013

That took a lot of pecking to make that hole. Hal

MSD · Feb 24, 2013

Wait till you wake up some morning to one of them pecking at your wood siding.

El Toro · Feb 24, 2013

I have vinyl siding over asbestos shingles and brick. No pecking here. Hal

Fergienewbee · Feb 24, 2013

We have some in our wood lot. The rectangular hole is a sure fire sign of their presence.

Larry

PJH · Feb 24, 2013

We have them here in Southern Illinois. A pretty bird - very shy. I have to put metal guards around the holes on my bluebird boxes. They want to enlarge them so they can use it, then the box is too small for them to get into. I leave them alone (except for the metal guards). Someone told me that Woody Woodpecker was modeled after them. . .

Tony in Mass. · Feb 24, 2013

When you see or hear them pecking at metal, it is so the sound can carry further. He was telling his wife he was going to be later coming home from work... or something like that...
A big noisey one flew over me earlier today, he must have been practicing his turkey calls for spring muzzle loading season.
My oaks are all dying of some virus, so lots of insects. I got the little southern woodpeckers here to, they only showed up a couple years ago.
By tomorrow morning there will a long list of calibers to kill them with....

travelman50 · Feb 24, 2013

When my wife and I lived at the lake of the Ozarks we had a pair in the woods around us. One year a young female would visit the suiet cake on a regular bases. they are fun to watch

kswillie · Feb 24, 2013

Never seen one around my part of the country. Do they taste like other woodpeckers.....only joking

Traditional Farmer · Feb 24, 2013

Lots of them around my area I see some about every day.They are dedicated 'peckers' cut a power pole off between the top and bottom line a couple years ago in one of my fields

pete black · Feb 24, 2013

They are in our woods in nw al. also. So, is it pi-lated or pill-e-ated?

Hay_Man · Feb 24, 2013

Daddy always said "Just keep peckin' away at it."

Brian G. NY · Feb 24, 2013

Pileated woodpeckers are quite common throughout the United States.
They are, however, quite elusive and you are very fortunate to get a picture of one.
I live in a valley and they fly from one mountain to the other and back regularly. I have learned to recognize the chirping sound they make as they fly so I see them a lot but mostly from afar.
If you see a pile of chips next to a tree in the woods you would think someone had been there with an axe.
They are the size of a crow (or duck) and have that distinctive long neck.
I would guess that Woody, the famous cartoon character is modeled after a pileated.

scotc · Feb 24, 2013

Isn't that the one they were going ape-dung crazy over a few years ago because they were supposed to be extinct but some guy thought he got some video of one in a swamp somewhere?

Rick Kaufmann · Feb 24, 2013

They are very common in my woods here in south central PA. They are noisy and have a raucus call that sometimes makes the wild gobblers gobble early on spring mornings just like a crow call does.
Rick

Brian G. NY · Feb 24, 2013

Scot,
That is the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.
It looks similar with the long neck but is even bigger. Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and lower part of Texas are it's habitat.
It is on the verge of extinction but I do remember what you are saying about one reportedly being seen a few years ago.

1936 · Feb 25, 2013

Along the Iroquois River in Iroquois County Illinois during deer season have a pair that works over old growth timber that is known a wolf timber in the area. Have a loud call and stays put in their area for years.

GVSII · Feb 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 18:28:05 02/24/13) Isn't that the one they were going ape-dung crazy over a few years ago because they were supposed to be extinct but some guy thought he got some video of one in a swamp somewhere?

The one that caused a stir a few years ago is the Ivory Billed woodpecker.It looks simular to the Pileated woodpecker.

Pileated Woodpecker

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