Pileated Woodpecker

fishkiller41

I just saw 4 of them, in the same tree!! I had never seen more than one at a time before.
Must be lots of them around here.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/lifehistory

Ingalls

First time I heard one it scared the crap out of me. Sounds like a teradactayl screaching through the woods.

JamesRK

I think that's what I had on my happy hunting ground in Lunenburg County. The things were as big as a chicken and were a real pain in the butt when you're deer hunting.

Four in the same tree is probably a sign the tree has too many parasites.

mango tango

They love to put holes in my cedar facia boards and wake me up in the process!

grumpygy

For the longest I thought I had a hawk in my trees. Then one day this woodpecker landed near me and sounded like that one. He is huge. He has went after one tree cause it sounds like he is knocking it down.

HandLoad

We've had a sad Widower Pileated Woodpecker her for the last three years...his mate killed herself hitting our Glass windows. Made us real sad. Donated the Bird to the local Wildlife Officer - she said it would be mounted and put in a Classroom.

fishkiller41

They are devoted mates, for life. The mated pairs i saw today were very attentive toward each other.And it seemed like thew were two "couples, just out for a day of tree=pecking.
The tree i first heard/saw them is a perf. healthy oak, they were just checking all the trees out. Fun to watch.

MVP

I have them in my woods and laugh everytime I hear them.

lindalecowboy

I remember when I was a kid my mom was a big time bird watcher and she saw one on our farm and called the local Audubon Society and they came out and asked her a ton of questions and confirmed it was in fact a Pileated woodpecker. They were near extinction back then and became a protected species and finally gained some numbers.

They really are a sight to see, very unusual.

fishkiller41

"They really are a sight to see, very unusual."


What i thought unusual, was to see TWO MATED PAIRS, paling around together..just yacking up a storm.. I had NEVER in my life, seen more than one at a time, and maybe only 20- 25 sightings, all together, before today.[8D]

Locust Fork

I remember seeing them all of the time when I was around 10 years old. When we first bought this house I saw a pair of them down in the woods behind our home. That is when I realized I hadn't seen them like I used to. The one pair stay close and I'm very happy every time I see them. I had NO idea what they sounded like.....but you can't mistake that pecking. It is louder than a hammer.