Bird · GBIF taxon 5228824
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatusThe Pileated Woodpecker is a crow-sized black woodpecker with a flaming red crest and bold white stripes on the face and neck. It excavates deep rectangular holes in dead wood to reach carpenter ants and creates cavities later used by other forest animals.
Large WoodpeckerCavity ExcavatorForest Bird
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Carpenter ants
- Beetle larvae
- Termites
Predators
- Northern Goshawks
- Great Horned Owls
- Martens
ThreatsRemoval of snags and large trees, forest fragmentation, collisions, and pesticide exposure
HabitatsMature deciduous, mixed, boreal, and swamp forest with large dead or dying trees
Life spanOften several years; wild individuals can live more than a decade
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPicidae
- SpeciesDryocopus pileatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Keep away from active nest holes and leave excavated snags standing where safe.
Responsible observation
- Listen: A loud ringing laugh or heavy drumming carries through forest.
- Look: Search dead trunks for deep rectangular excavations and fresh chips.
- Distance: Observe repeated visits to a cavity from well back.
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