Wednesday, February 5, 2014

A DRUM ROLL IN THE PINE TREES PLEASE FOR (A PILEATED WOODPECKER PHOTO BLOG)

Hi Everybody!!
I knew the moment I stepped out the door and heard the familiar drumming in the pine tree, who was visiting: The Pileated Woodpecker! He has a big hammer head to make the big noise. I was able to get a few snaps of him before I had to get out of the cold. He was the only bird I caught in the camera today, but he is a fine catch. I have shared below an excerpt from the Wikipedia page on the Pileated Woodpecker. South Texas is still in the grips of Jack Frost with this most unusual cold air. I hope to go out tomorrow as I am getting "cabin fever". Stay warm and Enjoy!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileated_Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a very large North Americanwoodpecker, roughly crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in the United States, except the possibly extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Pileated Woodpecker

Male Dryocopus pileatus in a tree
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Family:	Picidae
Genus:	Dryocopus
Species:	D. pileatus
Binomial name
Dryocopus pileatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Range of D. pileatus

Distribution and habitat[edit]

Their breeding habitat is forested areas across Canada, the eastern United States and parts of the Pacific coast. This bird favors mature forests and heavily wooded parks. They specifically prefer mesic habitats with large, mature hardwood trees, often being found in large tracts of forest. However, they also inhabit smaller woodlots as long as they have a scattering of tall trees.

Behavior[edit]

Male excavating a nest hole

These birds mainly eat insects, especially carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae. They also eat fruits, nuts, and berries, including poison ivy berries.^[6] Pileated Woodpeckers will often chip out large and roughly rectangular holes in trees while searching out insects, especially ant galleries.^[4] They also will lap up ants by reaching with their long tongue into crevices. They are self-assured on the vertical surfaces of large trees but can seem awkward while feeding on small branches and vines. Pileated woodpeckers may also forage on or near the ground, especially around fallen, dead trees, which can contain a smorgasbord of insect life. They may forage around the sides of human homes or even cars and can occasionally be attracted to suet-type feeders. Although they are less likely feeder visitors than smaller woodpeckers, Pileateds may regularly be attracted to them in areas experiencing harsh winter conditions.

Usually, Pileated Woodpeckers excavate their large nests in the cavities of dead trees. Woodpeckers make such large holes in dead trees that the holes can cause a small tree to break in half. The roost of a Pileated Woodpecker usually has multiple entrance holes. Pileated Woodpeckers raise their young every year in a hole in a tree. In April, the hole made by the male attracts a female for mating and raising their young. Once the brood is raised, the Pileated Woodpeckers abandon the hole and will not use it the next year. When abandoned, these holes—made similarly by all woodpeckers—provide good homes in future years for many forest song birds and a wide variety of other animals. Owls and tree-nesting ducks may largely rely on holes made by Pileateds in which to lay their nests. Even mammals such as raccoons may use them. Other woodpeckers and smaller birds such as wrens may be attracted to Pileated holes to feed on the insects found in them. Ecologically, the entire woodpecker family is important to the well being of many other bird species. The Pileated Woodpecker will also nest in nest boxes about 4.6 m (15 ft) off the ground.

A Pileated Woodpecker pair stays together on its territory all year round and is a non-migratory species. It will defend the territory in all seasons, but will tolerate floaters during the winter.^[7] When clashing with conspecifics, they engage in much chasing, calling, striking with the wings, and jabbing with the bill. Drumming is most commonly to proclaim a territory and hollow trees are often used to make the largest sound possible.

Pileated Woodpeckers have been observed to move to another site if any eggs have fallen out of the nest—a rare habit in birds. The cavity is unlined except for wood chips. Both parents incubate three to five eggs for 12 to 16 days. There is an average of clutch size of 4 per nest. The young may take a month to fledge.^[8] The oldest known Pileated woodpecker was 12 years and 11 months old. Predators at the nest can include american martens, weasels, squirrels, rat snakes and gray foxes. Free-flying adults have fewer predators but can be taken in some numbers by Cooper's Hawks, Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls andBarred Owls.^[9]

Status[edit]

The Pileated Woodpecker occupies a large range and is quite adaptable. Its ability to survive in many wooded habitat types has allowed the species to survive human habitation of North America much better than the more specialized Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpeckers have a large population size and, despite being non-migratory, are protected under the U.S. Migratory Bird Act. Due to the considerable damage that Pileated Woodpeckers can do to trees, some people may consider them harmful if found on their property, but the large birds control many insect populations, especially tree beetles, that may otherwise experience outbreaks.