Monday, December 7, 2009

Pileated Woodpecker Sighting



Last Monday, Chris Garbart (the Conservancy's Program Assistant) noticed a pair of pileated woodpeckers visiting the Conservancy's bird feeder. We took a few photos before both male and female flew off. The Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus plieatus, is the largest woodpecker in North American standing approximately 17" tall. With a prominent red crest and a black and white striped neck, males have a red mustache and females have a black mustache. The female pileated woodpecker is what we captured in these pictures. These birds live in forests and border lands, and are typically shy and not easily observed. Pileated woodpeckers stay together in their territory all year long, and prefer to make their nests in large trees. This pair was interested in our suet cake feeder, but they normally feed on carpenter ants and wood boring beetles.

No comments: