Pileated Woodpecker

About the Pileated Woodpecker

The largest woodpecker in most of North America, the Pileated Woodpecker is a crow-sized powerhouse, mostly black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming red crest. In flight it flashes white under the wings, and its ringing, laughing call and loud, resonant drumming carry far through the forest.

Pileateds chisel large, distinctive rectangular holes into dead and dying trees as they dig for their favorite food, carpenter ants, along with other insects and some fruit. A pair holds a large wooded territory year-round, and their excavations create shelter for many other animals.

In Texas the Pileated Woodpecker is a resident of the mature bottomland and pine forests of the eastern part of the state, wherever big trees and standing deadwood remain.

A note from behind the lens: big as they are, they can be shy and range widely. Listen for the drumming and calls, watch for fresh rectangular excavations, and set up where a bird is working a favored snag - soft forest light and a patient wait bring that red crest into frame.