Bird Of the Week - Pileated Woodpecker

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Pileated Woodpecker

(Dryocopus pileatus)

Maybe you've seen one maybe you haven't. But if you have, you have agree that it is quite an amusing bird and is the largest (known) woodpecker in North America, nearly the size of a crow!

If you want see one or, if you want to see one again, your best bet is to check out the forests which spread from the Rockies into Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, into most of Manitoba and Ontario, southern Quebec and nearby the shores of the Pacific Ocean all the way down to Florida. But Pileated Woodpecker's also appear in sub-urban areas, provided that you have enough trees. So if you live on the sub-urban prairies, don't expect to sport one.

Facts

Wingspan: 66-75 cm (26-30 inches)

Length: 40-49 cm (16-19 inches)

Weight: 250-350 g (8.8-12.3 oz)

Food: Omnivore. According to scientists studies, 40-97% of their diet consists of carpenter ants. They will occasionally visit bird feeders for suet/seed.

Habitat: Large dead trees in coniferous, pine or mixed forests. Seen in suburbs in the East.