A pair of pileated woodpeckers are currently nesting in a big sycamore on the island directly across the channel from the cottage. Their nest entrance, an elongated oval hole, is located approximately 40 feet up. It's about the size and shape of your two fists held one atop the other.
Every so often, one bird or the other comes flapping over to check things around around the house. That's what the male pileated in the close-up photos is doing. He's investigating a couple of old stumps I've rolled into the dooryard to use as bird-feeding platforms during the winter. Apparently he found a supply of tasty grubs or bugs of some sort, because he poked about for several minutes, whacking away like a deranged lumberjack.
Pileateds are probably the largest woodpecker in North America. I say probably because the ivory billed, if not now extinct, is actually slightly larger. But the crow-sized pileated is still huge. Which is why lots of country folks—especially down South—are apt to call them Lord God birds. As in "Lord, God! Look at the size of that woodpecker!"
They are, indeed, simply astonishing. I see them every day, and have been around pileateds much of my life, yet I'm still nearly dumbfounded by their outrageous size. Words simply fail in doing justice to the actuality of seeing one of these giant woodpeckers hanging upside-down on a suet feeder.
But not just big, and certainly not cute…menacingly spectacular!
They look like a cross between Count Dracula and a pterodactyl, outfitted in what might be an old KISS costume. Between that hair-trigger psycho look in their yellow eyes, and the lethal bill, if I were any bird smaller than an eagle, I know I'd leave the pileated alone.
Still, every time I see a pileated, I'm saddened a bit. Not because I don't enjoy them immensely, and welcome their frequent visits, but because I keep hoping for that unlikely miracle—news of a genuine, confirmed ivory bill sighting. Whereupon, sizewise, old mister pileated will promptly and firmly be relegated to second place—a humbling experience that might just do him some good!
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14 comments:
"A cross between Count Dracula and a pterodactyl" What a marvelous description! Whenever I see one here, I'm compelled to stop whatever I'm doing and just stare, as if it were a real pterodactyl. No alley cat would dare mess with him. Excellent photo and post.
Out To Pasture …
Yup. I don't know what it is about them, but seen up close, they always look to me even bigger than they are…or I least bigger than I expect them to be. And hey, I don't think a smart Rottweiler would tackle one. He might win the war, but it would be a bloody battle and the dog might end up with only one eye—if he was lucky!
Spectacular images, Grizz! We're seeing Pileateds with increasing frequency in my preserve, but they never fail to amaze and delight me. Though they're not very abundant here in the northern Piedmont, they were common in central Florida when we lived there. They inhabited suburban and wooded locations alike. We often spotted them pecking on utility poles in our neighborhood.
AS you say, he may not be "cute" and he may be pterodactylic in looks, but if I were a female pileated, I am certain I would find him to be quite handsome and attractive, with his tufted headgear and spectacular coloring!
Yes, he is one handsome devil ... would nest with him any day!
What I have never understood is why they don't get nasty headaches when you hear them banging away on a tree two or three blocks away!I hear one in the 'hood about twice a week. Ouch!
Your descriptions of him are unbelievably clever and accurate. Too bad he can't read your post.
Scott…
When I was growing up, there weren't any pileateds around where I lived in a neighborhood on the outskirts of town. But if you drove a few miles west, and poked around some of the bigger patches of woods, a few pairs of pileateds could be seen. And there were always lots of pileateds in Ohio's vast and heavily forested southeastern hillcountry. Since we were a family who spent a lot of time tramping various woods, near and far, pileated woodpeckers were fairly common birds.
Later, as I began to range into other states, quite often portions of the Southern Appalachians, big ol' pileateds became ever more familiar. But this is the first place I've ever lived where they are literally a dooryard species.
There are several pairs in the neighborhood, a couple on the islands across from the cottage. Unlike a lot of info I've read re. pileated behavior, and them being quite territorial, these seem to tolerate one another fairly well. The nesting pair will be hammering and squawking over there, and a second pair will be investigating a dead ash over here—maybe 100 feet separating the two. A nearby neighbor has had six pileateds on his property at the same time—though we might be talking a pair and young adults in that case. But I keep track of "my" birds enough to know that two pairs within a few hundred yards happens regularly.
You're right, too, about them inhabiting suburban locales. Lots of folks around here see them, and I'm talking a two or three mile area that turns ever more residential and/or industrialized the closer to town you get. They're learning to adept.
Moonmuser…
Don't know whether this changes your swooning attitude over the male's fancy feathers…but the female is trigged out almost identically except she lacks the red cheek stripe. So if you're setting your sights on a pileated, you're gonna have to dress for success. Just sayin…
Re. their lack of headaches (which they may, in fact, get—who knows?) a woodpecker's brain is small and fills up the skull's allotted brain cavity, which helps on impact shock. So too the neck vertebrae…in fact from chisel bill to long sticky tongue (better to lap up ants and bugs) to their zygodactyl feet, pileateds are designed to do exactly what they do. And it must work, because they're thriving. (Though they can't yet read, so my post is wasted on them. Alas!)
Hmmm..he sounds more attractive with each added fact. His girlfriend might try to peck my eyes out! I wonder if red and black is the way to go to grab his attention. Maybe I should Offer him the really icky spider in my bathroom , akin to dropping a dainty handkerchief in front of an attractive homosapien male! What do you think? Lol
Define zygodactyl ..so I don't have to go look it up.
Actually, I really like the smaller woodies myself.. Not as spectacular, but very cute! Are the woodpeckers uber-territorial?
Moonmuser…
Birds sporting zygodactyl feet—woodpeckers, owls, parrots, etc.—have their first and fourth toes of each foot directed backward and the second and third forward. This provides better stability when side-perching on a tree—as when a woodpecker decides to hammer away. (I should note there's some thought that not birds previously considered as having zygodactyl feet may be more rightly said to sport ectropodactyl toe arrangements.)
+HI GRIZZ - the photo is amazing - such detail and clarity . wow!! I love seeing the woodpeckers around here. They are loud and confident and big and almost seem angry - guess it must be hard to bang your beak so much!! :-)
I hope you have a glorious Memorial day weekend - I am healing and ok - each day a little better. Amen
Thanks for all your love and support
Love Gail
peace.....
Gail…
Hey, I'm a crackerjack wildlife photographer…especially when my subjects are big, close, and willing to hang around awhile so's I have time to fiddle with focus and camera settings! :-)
I'm so pleased you're recovering, feeling better and better each day. I had to go to urgent care myself this morning for a leg infection which just appeared out of the blue yesterday evening. But the kick-butt antibiotics seem to be helping already. Anyway, you have a great weekend—eat, laugh, enjoy, and pause now and then to give thanks as you remember the reason you have the freedom to celebrate.
How fantastic?!?! Absolutely stunning!
Giggles…
When you're geared to looking at warblers and titmice and redbirds, they are, indeed, mind-boggling birds!
hadn't realized how big they were. a spectacular bird.
Penny…
They are large and truly spectacular—especially when seen up close. I'm always astonished.
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