Birds › Northwest forest › Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

Digs big rectangular holes for ants. Its old nest holes shelter owls, ducks and bats.

Where to see it for real: Leave dead trees standing where it is safe; it also visits suet feeders.

Spot it in the game

Lives in the Northwest forest habitat (Pacific Northwest, Washington State).

Pileated Woodpecker facts

Family

Woodpeckers

Length

17 in (44 cm)

Wingspan

28 in (72 cm)

Weight

9.9 oz (280 g)

Diet

Carpenter ants and beetle larvae dug from dead wood, plus fruit and nuts.

Range

Forests of eastern North America, Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

Nest

A large hole it digs in a dead tree.

Song

A loud, whinnying "wuk-wuk-wuk" and deep, slow drumming.

Active

by day

Status

Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: widespread and not at risk.

What the Pileated Woodpecker sounds like

How to attract the Pileated Woodpecker

Feeder foods, favorite first: suet. Feeders that hold them: suet cage. Keep a bird bath full, too.

In the game: fill a feeder with suet and keep the bird bath full. It is an uncommon visitor, so be patient.

More: bird songs and calls, what to feed birds.

More birds of the northwest forest

Steller's JayNorthwest forestVaried ThrushNorthwest forestSpotted TowheeNorthwest forestChestnut-backed ChickadeeNorthwest forestPacific WrenNorthwest forestRed-breasted NuthatchNorthwest forest