Introduction

The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in most of North America, although the possibly extirpated Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) in the southeastern United States and Cuba and the Imperial Woodpecker (C. imperialis) of western Mexico are larger. Best recognized by its large, dull black body and red crest, the Pileated Woodpecker is a permanent resident of deciduous or coniferous forests in southern Canada and in the western, midwestern, and eastern United States. Dead trees provide favored sites in which to excavate nest cavities, and hollow trees are typically used to roost in at night. Only large-diameter trees have enough girth to contain nest and roost cavities of this species, so there is concern for populations of this woodpecker where old-growth forests are being converted to younger stands. Availability of suitable habitat is apparently the factor limiting most populations. A pair defends its territory year-round, and a pair member will not abandon a territory even if its mate is lost.

Because of its size and strong chisel-shaped bill, this woodpecker is particularly adept at excavating, and it uses this ability to construct nest and roost cavities and to find food. Its diet consists primarily of wood-dwelling ants and beetles that are extracted from down woody material and from standing live and dead trees. In its excavating, this species plays a crucial role in many forest ecosystems in North America; a diverse array of other birds—as well as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates—use its cavities for shelter and nesting.