# Pileated woodpecker



## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

I'm going to have to check out this call of yours Ray. And just so you know I may not know alot, but I do know the difference between a downy, a red bellied, and a pileated 
I see downy and red bellied wood peckers all the time around here. That pileated woodpecker was probably twice their size.


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## Splitshot (Nov 30, 2000)

Erik,

I know you are very knowledgeable about the outdoors and that was an attempt by me to be funny. If you're going to the Kzoo outing I'll bring it and show you how it works. When you hear it you will like it. I have called in hundreds of owls, lots of coyotes, an otter, numerous hawks, eagles, racoons, fox etc.. You will probably be most interested in my deer sounds. I don't know the exact #, but I have called in at least 30 bucks with it.

This call is so good that it fools the animal or bird every time in my experience. They are full fidelity sounds. Check it out on www.wildlifetech.com. What Bill Martz says has always proven to me to be correct.


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## otown (Jul 11, 2003)

Wow!
We keep breeding these chaps and sending them North. Glad you all appreciate them as much as we do.
The Audubon Society has flatly stated that the decline in woodpecker pops is loss of habitat, just as it is with so many species.
We decided long ago to leave our standing dead timber as nesting and habitat for many species, mostly woodpeckers. Seems to have worked as there are 7 breeding pairs of pileateds and numerous other woodies within 2 miles of us. 
The best you can do is to leave as much dead timber up as possible, beg friend and neighbor landowners to do the same and keep on the timber management types to do the same.
Upshot of dead timber management for us has been having 8 dead 40' pines within falling distance of our house and hurricane Wilma is bearing down. The pines were killed by lightning and borer beetles and I have a feeling we are about to be smushed. Well, that's why God invented homeowner's insurance.
Wilma's coming in now and I hope I can keep broadcasting.
Pileateds are common down here as are red-shoulder hawks and we have so many barred owls they sometimes drive me nuts when they get a coven of 6 or 8 going with their communal overindulged hooting orgies.
Leave the dead stuff up!!!

o town


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## wecker20 (Mar 10, 2004)

huh,? I thought they were common in Michigan. I've seen them every year for about 20 years now where we live and hunt in Lake county, just outside of R.C. I'll get pics of what they did to a basswood tree that no longer stands. Had a family of them go to town on this 100 year old tree that grew 5ft from the house. After the huge hole they put into the tree, we had to cut it down before it fell onto the house. I was amazed on the damage they can do and how the tree was still standing. I'll get pics tonight.


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## MAttt (Dec 15, 2004)

I have seen an increase of all the woodpeckers in the last 10
years in SE Michigan. 9 out of 10 times when I see them it
has been on Ash Trees. There work is done in my area now,
since a live ash is nonexistent here now.
But with all the ash tree's in Michigan, they will have a plenty
of work to do here for awhile.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

I also believe they are increasing in number and range here in Michigan, probably as more land reverts into forest cover (believe it or not, in spite of human sprawl, forest cover is increasing in our state). 

Pileateds are said to like timber stands that are on the mature side, but I've seen them in mixed-age stands. 

I've had a couple Pileated sightings each year on my Hillsdale property over the last 7-8 years. 

The holes they cut in trees are an identifying characteristic; generally, upright rectangles.


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

hey otown,
do you live right in orlando or just in the general area? my dad is from tavares so i get to spend a good ammount of time down in the lake county area. i see a lot of those pileated woodpeckers, along with with other wide varieties of wildlife, while im fishing the harris chain down there.


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

I sure seem to see alot of those little buggers these days, it used to be somewhat rare I thought. Also I seem to see flickers everywhere, I swear if they made the wrond sound when they flew their ass would look just too much like a grouse and I would make a mistake! luckily they are pretty quiet.


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## otown (Jul 11, 2003)

FishMich,
We live in what is left of some fairly pristine small acreage on the east side of Orlando that is slowly being both downgraded and upgraded by development.
It's being downgraded by runoff from yuppie scum housing developments that are destroying our river, the Econlockhatchee. We have about 500' frontage on the river and about 6 acres where our Britts just roam and have a ball.
It's being upgraded by other yuppie scum because they are willing to pay $200K an acre to buy some comfortable and quiet place that is full of fruit trees of every description, has a small home very much like our place in Mi. They will come and bulldoze the place and erect a plastic Taj Mahal. 
Rondevous, You know my MI place. It has strength and character from 4 generations and our home here is better in some ways.
We maintain it for wildlife` and go through about 50# of birdseed a week in winter.
I am not a tree hugger or slobbering dog lover who doesn't understand nature.
Lake County, especially Tavares is about to be trampled by developers and we see a really good grass-roots movement there to keep what is a beautiful piece of FL just that way.
I'm a political activist who delights in pulling down the pants of the Orange County Commissioners in public, on TV and in the printed media and when I call TV stations and newspapers, they go "Oh no, he's coming, but we gotta see this".
I have never run from any spirited conversations as you who have followed my somewhat ascerbic posts over the years know. I do it for our family, our neighbors and anyone who takes pleasure in seeing a pileated woodpecker family.

o town, your *****cat who hasn't quite been declawed yet.

I edited this any I can't believe they cut *****cat. Kids call *****cats, *****cats. Oh well, the word police and their electronics are ever vigilant.


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## FishMichv2 (Oct 18, 2004)

otown, glad to hear you are tryin to help. it is beautiful down there, its a part of florida not many people really get to see and most dont really appreciate. ive heard of the river, near titusville in one stretch i think and much clearer than what im used to on the harris chain. you are living my dream, a place down there and a place up here. id love to help the situation down there if you have any info. even though i dont have much to contribute and live far away, id like to be able to enjoy the area 30+ years from now like i have all my life.


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## otown (Jul 11, 2003)

FishMich,
You're far away but you got my attention, didn't you? 

Anyone who is interested in helping wildlife should get on the Internet if you can't confront them face to face. Do both if you can or we will gradually lose what we have.

Thirty years from now I hope you are showing your grandkids the same stuff you enjoy now. It's a heritage that will not be replaced if we lose it.

I've shown my grandkids pileateds, barred owls, ospreys, otters, manatees, red-shoulder hawks and some others that we've somehow saved habitat for and I'm getting tired of fighting. It's a long road and I see so few willing to pick up the sword and start swinging it softly and intelligently. You all, as individuals, have more power than you know or have tried to exercize. Log into Lake County website and barrage them with what you feel. They are teetering toward preservation and a few passionate emails might swing a vote or 2. Just tell them what you feel.

o town, old gadfly


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## Westlakedrive (Feb 25, 2005)

I had one at my maple tree last saturday and I am not sure if I have ever seen one. 
That is one cool woodpecker.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Westlakedrive said:


> I had one at my maple tree last saturday and I am not sure if I have ever seen one.
> That is one cool *[email protected]* woodpecker.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sure are Wes!!


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

I had a pair of them around but haven't seem them lately. They seem to be quite shy of people but I got this on on my suet feeder:


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Gonna be one less if it don't quit pecking on the cedar siding of my house.....:rant:

S.S.S...............


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## deepwoods (Nov 18, 2002)

I saw one near my cabin north of Hale on November 15th.


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## RollingRock (Nov 30, 2004)

We had one pecking on an oak tree at our cabin in Red Oak for about 10 minutes this past Sunday. I asked my wife to look out the window to check it out. She exclaimed "That's the biggest pecker I've ever seen!".

I'm just glad it wasn't a Downy:yikes:


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## doublell (Feb 8, 2007)

when we lived up north out on old mission we had a pair that made the area home. These guys would tear up some old maple trees out there BIG holes. I had an old maple in my back yard that they worked on pretty good also. What was neat to watch was when they came in to feed at our suet feeder everybody left ,including old bushy tail. They wanted nothing to do with that beak that looked like a ivory dagger. And yes their call is unique and LOUD.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

M1Garand said:


> I had a pair of them around but haven't seem them lately. They seem to be quite shy of people but I got this on on my suet feeder:


DANG!! M1 ... that pecker's big 'nuff to carry off that little suet cage...LOL!


Nice sh0T!!!


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