Pileated Woodpecker
Today’s adventure brings us high up in the trees! It requires careful listening and keen eyes.
Grab your binoculars! Let's head out on a birdwatching adventure so we can learn about the amazing Pileated Woodpecker.
Critter At A Glance
What are these woodpeckers like? Pileated Woodpeckers are very large with long necks and pointed triangle shaped crests on their heads. They are known for this red crest. They are called pileated because this word means capped. It’s like they have a flaming red cap on their head.
How do they build their nests? They excavate dead trees way up high, which means they peck away until there is a large enough cavern to make a cozy place for their eggs. Even though Pileated Woodpeckers don’t reuse their nesting spots, other birds find the old holes and use them the following years.
What else do they use their beak for? Their beak is like a chisel, which makes them extra good a digging for different insects. They can search wood or dirt for insects like carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae.
Don’t miss the story below about some friendly birds!
Are you ready for an out of this world fact?
You may have heard this friendly fact about the woodpecker family story. The big woodpeckers can tolerate smaller birds, such as Chimney Swifts, sharing their nesting cavities.
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Today’s challenge is to make your own pileated woodpecker.
You’ll need:
Woodpecker printable here =>
Scissors
tape
a clothespin
a toilet paper tube.
Directions:
Print and cut out the woodpecker.
Tape your woodpecker to the side of your clothespin.
Have a grown-up help cut a hole in the middle of your tube.
Clip and secure the clothespin to the bottom of your tube. It helps keep it steady if you can tape the clothespin on the inside of the tube.
Open and clothes the clothespin to watch the woodpecker peck away!
Share your creations! #heymrjim
“Pileated Woodpecker Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Online Bird Guide, Bird ID Help, Life History, Bird Sounds from Cornell About Birds, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzrg6JAQm24Wb1hBryIdkRnikB8FtJPIuccZkokoPxbfh1MG-BWbn2YaAhPYEALw_wcB#. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.
“Pileated Woodpecker - American Bird Conservancy.” American Bird Conservancy, https://www.facebook.com/AmericanBirdConserve/, https://abcbirds.org/bird/pileated-woodpecker/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzpIjQADeX7az5mqFJZ7lRQkuBhfSxoYUahRlCQhSOFgtZQpAaoL_9kaAmd9EALw_wcB. Accessed 19 Apr. 2022.