The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in North America. Mature adults are 14-16 inches in length. They are primarily found in forested areas of the southern Canadian Provinces, and in the US western states, eastern states, and along the Gulf coast.
The Pileated Woodpecker's diet consists of insects, fruit and nuts. They use their sharp bill to probe beneath the bark of
trees in search of ant colonies which they extract using their long sticky tongue. They also use their bills to drum on hollow
trees to claim their territory, and to excavate large holes in
trees for nesting and roosting.
The female lays four eggs after which both parents tend to them until they hatch in about 16 days.
Pileated Woodpeckers spend most of their time in the
trees, but on occasion they can be seen hopping around on the ground in search of carpenter ants and other tasty tidbits!
This is a Cedar Hill bird!