Pileated Woodpeckers are medium-sized birds with vibrant red crest feathers that sit on top of their head. These birds are most commonly found in the eastern and southern portions of the United States. Read on to learn 18 interesting fun facts about Pileated Woodpeckers!
18 Interesting Facts About the Amazing Pileated Woodpecker
1. Pileated Woodpeckers Carve Out Rectangular Holes in Trees
A common sign that a Pileated Woodpecker is in the area is the shape of cavities they carve in dead or mature trees. When this bird species is foraging for food under tree bark, they carve out a rectangular-shaped cavity in the tree. When Pileated Woodpeckers create a nesting cavity, the shape is more oblong.
2. Pileated Woodpeckers Are One of the Largest Woodpecker Species in North America
Pileated Woodpeckers range from 15.8 to 19.3 inches (40-49 cm) in length. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker was once the largest woodpecker in North America, but announced extinct in 2021. As a result, the Pileated Woodpecker is now considered the largest woodpecker species in North America.
3. Pileated Woodpeckers Are Monogamous
Pileated Woodpeckers will mate for life once they find a partner. Males attract females through a series of courtship displays, such as flight displays, head swinging, raising of the crest feathers, and spreading their wings to reveal white patches.
4. Both Male and Female Pileated Woodpeckers Participate in Feeding Nestlings
Some bird species do not participate in joint feeding of the nestlings. Both parents of the Pileated Woodpecker species participate in feeding by regurgitation of various insects, fruits, and nuts.
5. Pileated Woodpeckers Will Defend Their Territory
During nesting season, Pileated Woodpeckers will defend their territory from predators and other bird species by making loud drumming sounds and calls to deter threats.
6. Pileated Woodpecker Nests Take More Than One Month to Build
Male Pileated Woodpeckers spend up to six weeks excavating a nest cavity, typically in a matured or dead tree. Female Pileated Woodpeckers may participate in the nest cavity creation, but males dig out most of the cavity alone. After the outside of the cavity is complete, the Pileated Woodpecker will hollow out the inside of the cavity by chipping at the inside of the tree.
7. Pileated Woodpeckers Do Not Reuse the Same Nesting Cavity Each Year
Even though Pileated Woodpeckers spend quite some time hollowing out a nest cavity, they do not go back to the same cavity every nesting season. These woodpeckers will seek out another tree to excavate a new cavity upon nesting season.
8. Pileated Woodpeckers Play an Important Role in Their Ecosystem
Due to their excessive digging and creating cavities in trees, Pileated Woodpeckers actually create homes for other species that live in the same environment. Depending on the location of the cavity, other bird species, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles may seek shelter in a cavity that a Pileated Woodpecker has created.
9. Carpenter Ants Can Take Up More Than Half of the Pileated Woodpecker Diet
Carpenter ants are a common food source for Pileated Woodpeckers. While probing and pecking at dead trees, Pileated Woodpeckers will peel back bark to reveal various insects that live und