Everything about this handsome denizen of the forest serves to stir the imagination, from its bold black and white plumage and flaming red crest to its loud, far-reaching cries. It is unmistakable as it bounds through the woods in long, undulating flight.  The white wing linings are prominent.  The females lack the red "mustache"  which allows you to distinguish the sexes, provided you can get close enough.

The habitat consists of the mature forests and woodland borders usually near streams and rivers throughout the eastern half of the United States, through most of southern Canada and then south through Washington, Oregon and northern California.  These birds spend considerable time on the forest floor feeding on the fallen trees where carpenter ants are abundant. The practice of 'cleaning up' a woodland of dead wood almost guarantees the absence of this grand species.

Like several other larger animals of our area, such as the white-tailed deer and Great Horned Owl, whose numbers sharply declined in past decades as the eastern United States was deforested.   As this occurred it was thought that the Pileated would become as rare as the Ivory-billed and head toward extinction.  But as many eastern farms have been reverted back to woodlands the Pileated has adapted well to younger forests and enjoyed a remarkable comeback as these forests have matured.  They still require tracts of forest of 100 to 200 acres and do not nest agricultural areas or small wooded lots but have become much more common in suburban areas with large stands of woods.

Like many other woodpeckers this bird will proclaim its territory by drumming.  The drumming is more frequent by unpaired males and is distinctive among woodpeckers as it softens toward the end.  They form long term bonds and will eject intruders from their territory.  They make displays of bill-waiving, crest raising, and spreading their wings to show their white lining or they will even peck at rivals to remove them from their territory.  In the spring these confrontations are between birds of the same sex, while the bird of the opposite sex sits aside.  After the nest has been started both birds will chase off any intruder.   Conflicts for nesting sites can also occur with squirrels, but the squirrels will generally dominate this situation and claim a nest if they so desire.  Once the pair bond has formed, the mates will spend most of the day together foraging.  At night they will roost in separate holes.

The clutch consists of 4 white eggs placed in a tree cavity lined with chips in a dead tree usually with the bark removed.  The nests are 15 to 70 feet above the ground and are 10 to 24 inches deep with an opening of about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.  The eggs are incubated by both parents for 15 to 18 days.  During the day the both parents share the responsibility, however it is usually only the male that incubates during the night.   On at least one occasion it has been shown that the Pileated Woodpecker will carry their eggs to a new location if the first nest is destroyed.  Male and Female brood the young for about 10 days and rarely leave the nest unguarded for more than a few minutes.   At about 15 days the young can climb to the entrance of the nest and stick their heads out and will beg for food when their parents are near. The nestlings are fed regurgitated material during this time.  The young leave the nest about one month after hatching and may continue to be fed by the parents for up to 3 months.

Woodpeckers require a certain amount of dead wood in their territories. They don't eat the wood, just the larvae which inhabit it.   About eighty percent of the Pileated's diet is insects, the balance being fruit and nuts.  On rare occasions, they can be attracted with a suet feeder during the winter months. The Pileated Woodpecker will remove bark from a tree while searching for food.  This is beneficial to Hairy Woodpeckers which do not remove bark but will seek insects on trees from which the bark has been removed.

Length 16 1/2 inches