Page created on : December 19, 1999
Last updated : August 6, 2004

The largest of Canada's woodpeckers, this glorious bird takes its name from the pileus or crest which covers the top of its head. Unmistakable both at rest and in flight, the pileated woodpecker is as big as a crow, patterned in black and white and topped with its conspicuous bright red pointed crest.

At home in forest and mature woodlands but not opposed to city living, this remarkable creature is superbly adapted to its role - that of climbing trunks and branches and digging out wood-boring insects with its bill. Its legs are short, and its claws sharp and well suited to climbing. The skull is thick, heavy and shock mounted, enabling a hammer-like thrust of the bill which is a natural chisel for piercing tree bark.

Nest building is a family affair for the woodpecker, with the male and female sharing the duties of excavation and construction over the month it takes to build a home. A nest is built by digging out a cavity in a tree 30-60 centimetres wide, then covering the floor with woodchips. Three to five eggs are laid and the parents take turn incubating the eggs for just under three weeks. The female tends to this task during the day, and the male stands watch by night. A month after hatching, the chicks are ready to leave the nest.