During the brief snow storm last week, I distributed an extra-large amount of seeds across over the back yard. Naturally, I had lots of visitors. I counted 20 different varieties of birds during the day, but I had a little unexpected company. Around mid-morning, a pair of beautiful Pileated Woodpeckers flew into the yard, attached themselves to the trunk of an old cherry tree and began to peck away. About 10 years ago, a pair of these beautiful creatures nested in the cavity of an old maple in my yard. They raised clutches in consecutive years, but that home was apparently no longer to their to liking and they haven’t nested there since, but they do fly-bys every now and then.
These are the largest of our woodpeckers, about the size of a crow. They have a solid black backs and a red crest, but are not to be confused with the somewhat rare Red-headed woodpeckers.
Say the bird authorities: Pileated Woodpeckers are generally forest birds that require large, standing dead trees and downed wood. Forests can be evergreen, deciduous, or mixed and are often old, particularly in the West. In the East they live in young forests as well and may even be seen in partially wooded suburbs and backyards.
Pileated Woodpeckers drill distinctive rectangular-shaped holes in rotten wood to get at carpenter ants and other insects. They are loud birds with whinnying calls. They also drum on dead trees in a deep, slow, rolling pattern, and even the heavy chopping sound of foraging carries well. Their flight undulates like other woodpeckers, which helps separate them from a crow’s straight flight path.
I sure wish they’d come back, find an old tree hole someplace and build another nest. I’d like my unexpected company to be more like family.