The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest of the numerous species of woodpeckers found in North America. Unlike its smaller cousins, the Pileated is rather shy and can be difficult to get a look at.
I’ve seen several solitary Pileateds over the years, but only handful of pairs. One afternoon during the archery season several years ago, there were several in the vicinity of my tree stand in the AlabamaSwamp. They were enjoyable to watch until one of them decided to start hammering away on the same tree I was in.
Approximately the same size as a crow, they will use their powerful bill to drum on trees to mark territory and attract a mate. It also comes in handy for excavating nest cavities. A mating pair will both perform the latter task, making several large holes in trees and selecting one for a nesting site. There they will incubate the eggs for approximately eighteen days.
Bayne Johnson of SilverLake was kind enough to pass along these photos. He was watching a Buffalo Sabres game when he heard the loud rat-a-tat-tat in his yard. According to Bayne, “wood chips were flying all over the place.” At one point, as noted in the photo, it stuck its head inside the hole as it worked. The bill penetrated the opposite side of the tree. The hole was completed in a single period of the hockey game.
