meet the pileated woodpecker

Dryocopur pileatus

Pileated Woodpecker

The Pileated woodpecker is the largest living woodpecker on our continent, growing nearly 3 times the size of more petite woodpecker species. At nearly 20 inches in length, it’s almost as big as a crow. The bird is named for its prominent red crest. Pileated comes from the Latin term pileatus, meaning capped. The species is very easy to spot and observe without binoculars, unmistakable in appearance. Many describe it as looking pre-historic. Pileated woodpeckers are considered common, giving a currently strong breeding population and low conservation concern rating. So why is the pileated seemingly so rare in Northeast Ohio backyards, and how can birders better attract it?

Understanding The

Pileated Lifestyle

It helps to understand how Pileated woodpeckers live. Their ideal habit is a mature woodland where a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees grow tall, then naturally die, possibly fall, and remain to decay. The readily available supply of standing dead trees and downed wood provides the Pileated’s primary food, carpenter ants. The birds peck long, rectangular holes to access tunnels of carpenter ants and also use their long, barbed tongues to extract woodboring beetle larvae and termites. Dead trees are also used for nesting. During the May-July mating season, males excavate for 3-6 weeks, pecking away to create a rather large, oblong cavity. They eventually climb all the way in to finish chipping away at it from the inside. Once the ideal nest of up to 24 inches is achieved, the nest is ready to host a clutch of 3-5 eggs. Pileated woodpeckers faithfully mate for life, and only one pair occupies a territory at a time. Males are identifiable by the red stripe on their cheek.

Creating the

Conditions to Attract

For birders excited to draw Pileated woodpeckers, it’s encouraging to know pairs will claim, hold, and defend territory year-round in suburban areas that offer large trees and patches of woodland. In these neighborhoods, homeowners might consider leaving some dead or dying trees on their property to attract the species to forage, roost, or even nest in them. It’s also a good idea to plant the fruit-bearing shrubs these birds frequent for additional food. Varieties of blackberry, holly, elderberry, and dogwood are all great options for Northeast Ohio gardeners.

Woodpeckers Prefer

Suet Feeders

Favorite Food: Suet Cakes
Preferred Feeder: Suet Feeders

Pileated woodpeckers are known to visit backyard feeders, particularly when suet is provided, so it’s helpful to hang a suet cage bird feeder and keep it stocked with a nutrient-rich suet cake. Wintertime in Northeast Ohio is an ideal time to attract Pileated woodpeckers, and they’re so much easier to spot against a wintry landscape! With insects being scarce this time of year, the birds are more easily drawn to feeders. The best feeder is a suet cage that features a tail prop on which the large birds can balance.

In addition to suet cakes, Pileated woodpeckers also enjoy black oil sunflower seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, peanuts in the shell, peanut pieces, and mealworms.

backyard birding

creating an oasis

Whether it’s for the Pileated woodpecker or another Northeast Ohio feathered friend, backyard birding is quite easy. It creates a meaningful way to connect with outdoor nature year-round, and, as with any bird one wishes to attract, covering the basics of water, food, and shelter improves the chances for success.

Learn more about backyard birding

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