February 16, 2021: Pileated Woodpecker
Walking about has been tough with our trails still covered in snow and ice. However, the path around the lagoon has been plowed, and my birding buddy and I have been out walking every day. We were able to observe two Pileated Woodpeckers in the trees on the south side of the lagoon.
Nearly the size of a crow, the Pileated Woodpecker is black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Excavating deep into rotten wood to get at the nests of carpenter ants, it leaves characteristic rectangular holes in dead trees. Males and females are similar except the male has a red stripe on his cheek.
The male begins excavating a nest cavity and does most of the work, but the female contributes, particularly as the hole nears completion. The entrance hole is oblong rather than the circular shape of most woodpecker holes. For the finishing touches, the bird climbs all the way into the hole and chips away at it from the inside, periodically picking up several chips at a time and tossing them from the cavity entrance.
Now the Pileated has its own claim to fame: it’s been named Bird of the Year for 2021 by the American Birding Association.
Happy Birding!