Photo: Judy Gallagher / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 287 g.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Dryocopus
- Species pileatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 287 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Both sexes are mostly black with a bold black-and-white striped face and neck and a flaming red crest; the male has a red malar ('mustache') stripe and red on the forehead extending from the crest to the bill, while the female has a black malar stripe and a blackish (grey-tinged) forehead in front of the crest.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles resemble adults but are duller and looser-plumaged with a smaller, less-curved crest; the red/black malar (mustache) sex difference is already present and diagnostic, visible within days of fledging.
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Vulnerable
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pileated Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pileated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA e, nw USA and s Canada.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 287 g, with a wing length of about 22.8 cm and a tail of around 16.7 cm.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pileated Woodpecker?
The Pileated Woodpecker is a large bird that weighs around 287 g.
Where does the Pileated Woodpecker live?
The Pileated Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA e, nw USA and s Canada, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pileated Woodpecker belong to?
The Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Pileated Woodpecker eat?
The Pileated Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pileated Woodpecker migrate?
The Pileated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
What sound does the Pileated Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Pileated Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pileated Woodpecker's range?
The Pileated Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 5.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.