# Pileated Woodpeckers



## DFDENGINE (Jan 23, 2007)

I have a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers living on my property in St. Clair county, and I was wondering if this common this far south? I have seen them at our hunting property by Alpena and thought they were just a northern bird.


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## Shotgun (Jun 10, 2000)

Their range is the whole eastern US, and southern Canada. They're not real common, but have a huge range.


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## DFDENGINE (Jan 23, 2007)

Thanks Shotgun, I should invest in a bird book. I've been watching them for the last month or so, pretty neat to watch.


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## mike the pike (Mar 11, 2008)

They are the size of bluejays...is that right?


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

mike the pike said:


> They are the size of bluejays...is that right?


Bigger Mike. A good size crow would be closer.


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## rick (Dec 3, 2000)

I have been seeing 1 up in Luzerne all deer season long. They are a prehistoric looking bird, very cool.
Here's a good site for birds

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id


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## PaleRider (Oct 24, 2007)

I have one in my backyard on a regular basis. Oakland County


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## mike the pike (Mar 11, 2008)

Sounds like they would make 1 heck of a noise in forest


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

when I lived up north had a pair that worked out on an old sugar maple. when they showed up everyone else left including the squirrels.:yikes:


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## snaggs (Jul 20, 2005)

Have had several hanging around Hamlin Lake in some years past. Have not seen one in several years. Sure make a heck of a banging when hammering on trees. Beautiful birds,real beautiful.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

mike the pike said:


> Sounds like they would make 1 heck of a noise in forest


They really do. There was one up by my parent's cabin, that was hammering on someone's metal siding or roof, a couple years ago. Sounded like a darned jackhammer. I have no idea why it was doing that, but that was the deal. Very cool birds, and often they get 18" tall, and sometimes a bit larger.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

Yes 18" tall for the very large ones. I've had one land 12" away from my face while bow hunting and look me square in the eye for a couple seconds before it figured it out. Their eyes have a ring of fine white feathers around them, almost imperceivable but when you are up close and personal it was the first thing I noticed.


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## Paul Thompson (Jul 16, 2007)

I have seen the Pileated Wood Pecker up in Quebec while Bear hunting, and they look to have a two foot wing span, big birds they got up there. With softball size holes drilled in the trees for nest.

I see these two everyday when hunting in our woods, The Snowy, and the Ivory Billed.


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

mike the pike said:


> They are the size of bluejays...is that right?


18" long. Half again longer then a Blue Jay.

They prefer large older tracts of woods.


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

Paul Thompson said:


> I have seen the Pileated Wood Pecker up in Quebec while Bear hunting, and they look to have a two foot wing span, big birds they got up there. With softball size holes drilled in the trees for nest.
> 
> I see these two everyday when hunting in our woods, The Snowy, and the Ivory Billed.


This is a Female Red Bellied and a male Downy woodpecker


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## rick (Dec 3, 2000)

Fishndude said:


> They really do. There was one up by my parent's cabin, that was hammering on someone's metal siding or roof, a couple years ago. Sounded like a darned jackhammer. I have no idea why it was doing that, but that was the deal. Very cool birds, and often they get 18" tall, and sometimes a bit larger.


I'm pretty sure they were drilling for bugs that they know are under the metal. A small woodpecker does it allmost every morning to my tv antenna at my cabin up north, usually before I want to wake up. When my family hears it someone is sure to chuckle. Usually I want to grab the bb gun.


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## hooks-n-arrows (Oct 25, 2007)

I could hear them last year south of one of my hunting woods in Clinton County. This year I had 2 or 3 pair of them with me all bow season. And yea, the picture posted, not them. Mine kinda remind me of woody woodpecker.


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## bully06 (Dec 10, 2002)

They love the suet cakes especially, I've had three of them at one time at the suet in my yard in Harrison. Cool birds to watch!


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

We have a couple of them in our Mecosta Cty Cedar Swamp...always nice to get one close enough to watch when they are "hunting"...pretty cool. Noisy sob's though! They are cool in flight too.


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

rick said:


> I'm pretty sure they were drilling for bugs that they know are under the metal. A small woodpecker does it allmost every morning to my tv antenna at my cabin up north, usually before I want to wake up. When my family hears it someone is sure to chuckle. Usually I want to grab the bb gun.


Usually when a woodpecker is drumming on metal, its because it makes a good sound. A male woodpecker will announce himself and establish territory through his drumming. The louder the better. Hence the attractiveness of metal siding.


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