# Pileated woodpecker in southern mich.



## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

I see and hear pileateds quite frequently at my farm. I'm sure there's some nesting going on nearby.

Now, a redhead, like in post #17, I've seen one, lifetime. Last spring, perched in a sumac, alongside Jerome Rd. in Hillsdale County. 

I see red-bellies (which have red heads, and some mistakenly call redheads), hairys, downys, and northern flickers frequently here in Northville.


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## achristle810 (Jan 27, 2009)

I live in Lapeer, off of Pero Lk Rd. I saw a pileated woodpecker outside on my neighbors tree this morning. Beautiful bird, first time I have seen one. I have a picture but being my first time on here, I am unable to submit one.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

I used to have a pair of them around but I haven't seen them in quite a while. They'd occasionally come to my suet:










Their primary food is carpenter ants and beetle larvae so that tree probably had one or the other. 

The redhead woodpecker I've seen once myself. Their numbers are declining....but I just saw that their numbers are increasing in areas beavers are increasing due to flooded areas with dead snags. So may be a lack of nesting snags for them has a part in other areas.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

My parents have a cabin just north of Hale, MI, and we have had Pileated Woodpeckers since I was young. There were not real common when I grew up, but there are a LOT more of them now, than there were, then. I think what Linda posted is probably true - with the regrowing forests, after logging pretty much cleared all the land, many years ago, they are coming back strongly. They come to our suet feeders, and it always amazes me that they can hang on, and still bend enough on that small feeder to get the suet. There are a lot of oaks in our area, and LOTS of Carpenter Ants.


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## sopdan (Nov 28, 2004)

Last spring I saw one at Spring Mill Pond in Island Lake Rec Area, and another one at M-24/Columbiaville Rd.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

This one showed up this morning. I always feel lucky to see one, even luckier to get a quick picture.


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

I have a pair in my woods near Gregory, Michigan. They are as big as a Crow and very noisy. Really neat to see them. They really work over the Ash trees. I call it Spalling the bark off. When I go down to cut wood they yell at me.


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