Piliated Woodpeckers

Piliated Woodpecker (female)

Piliated Woodpecker (male)

 We have had a pair of Piliated Woodpeckers out behind our house for the last several years. Recently I have been seeing them all over the Upper Valley, and been fortunate enough to get some decent looks. Here's a few photos, and some basic info on my favorite woodpecker....

 The Piliated Woodpecker is North America's largest woodpecker,approximately the size of a crow. It  is probably best known by the cartoon character it was the inspiration for, "Woody Woodpecker". The familiar woody woodpecker laugh -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2GlnC9V8RE&NR=1  was based on the actual call of the piliated woodpecker heard here:  http://www.pileatedwoodpeckercentral.com/audio/call.mp3

The Piliated Woodpecker  is shy and often hard to observe.  They are very territorial, defending their territory from other Piliated's year round.  It occupies areas with mature forests that contain many dead trees in which it will excavate its nest, and forage for its favorite food item; the carpenter ant. The Pileated Woodpecker also eats other insects as well as wild fruits and nuts. They obtain their food by scaling bark off trees and creating large excavations in trees to expose ant nests. 

Both the male and female share the work of excavating the nest cavity. They use their strong beaks to chisel away the wood, then gather the chips in their mouths, and spit them out the opening. 

Excavating the nest cavity

Spitting out the wood chips

 

Both the male and female have red crests. The crest on the male starts from the bill and runs to the nape. Whereas on the female the red crest starts farther back on the head. The females lack the red mustache stripe that the males have on the side of their face.

 The Piliated Woodpecker stays with the same mate for life. Each spring they excavate a new nest cavity.  They have one brood per year, typically 4 eggs. The babies fledge in approx 24-30 days, but stay with the parents until the fall when they go off on their own. 

More photos can be seen at http://jerichohillsphotography.com/woodpeckers