Jaci Dawn

Hopefully, I can get Don’s video to upload.

We had a very rare event tonight: the Pileated Woodpecker came by to feed on the suet cake. They frequented our feeder a couple years ago, but something scared them off and we haven’t seen much of them since. But Mr. was there tonight (the difference between male Pileateds and females is the red moustache near the beak).

They are beautiful reclusive birds. It is commonly thought that they need old growth forest and plenty of snags to live (we have a large green space within a half mile of our home where there are snags, but it certainly is not old growth forest). When you’re out in the woods, you can hear them but rarely get to see them.

I took several photos through the glass & blinds. I didn’t want to risk trying to sneak up on this beautiful bird and have him fly away before I snapped a photo.

This was my best shot.

All the references to the Pileated say that it is “almost as large as a crow”, but I think it would be truer to say it is almost as large as a raven. Crows are definitely smaller, although not by much.

Mr. got his beak into the suet feeder and grabbed huge chunks of it (we purchase suet that is liberally laced with insects specifically to attract woodpeckers to our feeder). If you decide to try feeding woodpeckers, make certain the suet you purchase has lots of insects in it. (We once purchased some that was, sadly, very lacking in the insect parts. The starlings wouldn’t even eat it.)

If you get a chance, visit the Cornell check out the link to the Pileated and listen to his call.