Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
The pileated woodpecker is about 15 inches in length and is one of the largest woodpeckers found in North America. This species lives in Canada from British Columbia east to Nova Scotia. It can also be found in most areas of the eastern United States, mostly in coniferous and deciduous forests, where it feeds on insects, fruits and nuts. A large part of its diet is made up of carpenter ants and beetle larvae. It uses its sharp bill to pull bark off a tree to expose ant colonies. It uses its long, sticky tongue to poke into holes and drag out the ants. The pileated woodpecker "drums" on hollow trees with its bill to claim territory. You can pronounce pileated two ways, with a short I-sound (pill-ee-ated) or a long I-sound (pile-ee-ated). The Pileated Woodpecker is no longer on the endangered species list.
