Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus Pileatus) - Pointy-Headed Tree Tapper
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Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) - Pointy-headed Tree Tapper Did you Know? This particular species of Woodpecker is common enough in North America that many farmers consider to to be a nuisance. They can make holes large enough to break a tree in half! The Pileated Woodpecker is considered by some to be a keystone species because the large holes it creates provide perfect nesting areas for other bird species. The Pileated Woodpecker helps to keep insect populations under control. Especially potentially harmful insects such as certain species of tree beetle. Photo: Joshlaymon from Wikipedia.org The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected] Pileated Woodpecker Range Map, From Wikipedia.org Habitat - The Pileated Woodpecker is found mostly in the eastern portions of North America but is also present in the forests of northern and central Canada and the temperate boreal forest of the Pacific Coast. It favors mature forest and other heavily wooded areas that have dead trees (also called snags). These snags are where it feeds on insects and creates its large holes for nesting. The nesting cavities can be as wide as 20 cm. Pileated Woodpeckers do not discriminate between deciduous or coniferous trees, provided there are insects to feed on. Weight - 250-400 g Length - 40-49 cm Diet - Carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, larvae, fruits, nuts and berries. Status - S5 secure (what does this S-rank mean?) The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected] Identification: The Pileated woodpecker is black with a red crest with white lines down the sides of the throat. The underside of its wings are white and are visible when it takes flight. Adult males have a red line that descends from the bill to the throat, whereas in females this line is black. Their call is fairly loud and is often described as a "jungle bird" call due its wild and un-fettered quality. Photo: Dger from Wikipedia.org Pileated Woodpeckers on the Niagara Escarpment Evidence of the Pileated Woodpecker can be seen all along the Niagara Escarpment and the Bruce Trail. The large excavations in dead trees with woodchips strewn about on the forest floor below are a dead give away that a Pileated Woodpecker has been looking for food or excavating a nest. The tell tale hammer-like tapping that rings through the forest is also a clear sign that a Pileated Woodpecker is in the area and is staking its territory. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is continually protecting land along the Niagara Escarpment in an effort to protect species like the Pileated Woodpecker and the habitats on which it needs for survival. Back to top >> The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected] Interesting Facts: The only birds in North America that are similar in plumage and size to the Pileated Woodpecker are the Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker of the Southern United States and Cuba. These birds however are quite rare, if not extinct. It is widely speculated that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been extinct for some time now. The drumming of the Pileated Woodpecker is very loud and sounds much like a hammer striking a tree. This drumming is often the Pileated Woodpeckers way of claiming a territory or calling for a mate. They make sure to find the largest hollow trees to amplify the effect of their drumming. The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected] .