Pileated Woodpeckers

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  • Mongo59

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    Jul 30, 2018
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    We have always had Pileated Woodpeckers on our property but yesterday was a first. I saw three full grown adults in the same place at the same time.

    I am not sure if this means they are increasing in number or what, but it is nice to see...
     

    eldirector

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    Apr 29, 2009
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    Brownsburg, IN
    We have a pair that nested in the neighbor's tree. They visit our peanut feeder pretty often. Like to dive-bomb my wife when she is working in the flower beds. They have a distinctive sound when flying. Can hear them coming.

    Put out shelled peanuts, and you will likely start getting woodpeckers. We have a ton of Downy and Red-Bellied, and the Pileated comes around pretty often. Had a Northern Flicker a week or so ago.
     

    Rhinestone Pete

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    Jun 23, 2009
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    Greenwood, IN
    I've noticed more on my property too, but I think I have an infestation of bugs. I noticed a dead ash tree that was nearly completely debarked. I'm assuming emerald ash borers.
     

    Hkindiana

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    Sep 19, 2010
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    Southern Hills
    I see them quite often, along with every other woodpecker variety, EXCEPT red headed woodpeckers. Not the common red-bellied woodpecker with a red head patch, but the red headed with a FULL red head. The only redheaded woodpecker I have seen in ten years was dead on the road.
     

    EyeCarry

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    May 10, 2014
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    Bloomington
    We have several pileateds here. They are sooo sharp eyed. They have us trained too. If we don't have the suet out soon enough they tap on the aluminum threshold to let us know, "hey, hurry up. we're hungry out here." I saw a redheaded just a week or two ago (not on my prop.) Been a long time since I've seen one. It was in a different habitat than my property.
     

    Mongo59

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    These were fascinated with a cedar fence post for some reason. We do have literally hundreds of dead ash for them.

    I know what kind of firewood I will be burning this year, and the next, and the next...
     

    JimH

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    Aug 2, 2008
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    I see them quite often, along with every other woodpecker variety, EXCEPT red headed woodpeckers. Not the common red-bellied woodpecker with a red head patch, but the red headed with a FULL red head. The only redheaded woodpecker I have seen in ten years was dead on the road.
    I have 2 pair of red heads hanging around my feeders,plus several pileated and red bellieds.4-5 flying squirrels at night.The red heads are beautiful!
     

    mom45

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    Nov 10, 2013
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    NW of Sunshine
    I have tons of woodpeckers here. The pileated ate every little ornamental crabapple off of the tree behind my kitchen this spring and are having a field day on the trees that have ants in them. I have seen flickers, and red headed woodpeckers and tons of the downy woodpeckers. The downy ones actually drink from my oriole feeders...I had no idea they would do that but I have it on my trail camera that I had put up to try to see just how many orioles I had.
     

    gmcttr

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    May 22, 2013
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    Columbus
    We have always had Pileated Woodpeckers on our property but yesterday was a first. I saw three full grown adults in the same place at the same time.

    I am not sure if this means they are increasing in number or what, but it is nice to see...

    Most likely mom, dad and this year's young. I've observed this frequently at this time of year.

    I would imagine that anything eating the EAB grubs and beetles would be doing well.

    The EAB have pretty much killed all the ash trees around here and moved on in your direction.
     

    Goodcat

    From a place you cannot see…
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    Jan 13, 2009
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    In the woods I hunt, I have to watch about ten of them battle for hours. It’s like Lord of the Rings and LOUD!
     

    Lex Concord

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    Dec 4, 2008
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    Morgan County
    I have woodpeckers of all types and sizes (including Pileated) around my house.

    Some of the little peckerheads even peck through the siding of my house - requiring repairs nearly every year we've lived here :xmad:
     

    gregkl

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    Apr 8, 2012
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    Bloomington
    I see them quite often, along with every other woodpecker variety, EXCEPT red headed woodpeckers. Not the common red-bellied woodpecker with a red head patch, but the red headed with a FULL red head. The only redheaded woodpecker I have seen in ten years was dead on the road.

    We have two Red Headed Woodpeckers that light on our tree often throughout the day.

    Last year we had a Pileated hatch a couple babies. It was cool watching them learn how to fly. I haven't seen them yet this year.

    We also had a hawk with little ones last year hanging in our back yard. Haven't seen them either this year.
     

    spencer rifle

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    Apr 15, 2011
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    Scrounging brass
    Pileateds are carpenter ant specialists - the will excavate entire nests. Red -headeds tend to fly lower than other woodpeckers when moving between woodlots, and get hit by cars a lot. So much so that they tend to be rarer in more urban areas.
     

    eldirector

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    Apr 29, 2009
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    Brownsburg, IN
    Have a pair of them that frequently visit out suet feeders. They do have a loud cackle.
    Largest woodpecker in North America
    Might be the largest left. The Ivory Billed is classified as extinct, and the Emperor as Critically Endangered and likely extinct. Last confirmed records are from the 1950's.
     

    mom45

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    Nov 10, 2013
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    NW of Sunshine
    Pileateds are carpenter ant specialists - the will excavate entire nests. Red -headeds tend to fly lower than other woodpeckers when moving between woodlots, and get hit by cars a lot. So much so that they tend to be rarer in more urban areas.


    This is good to know and makes them even more welcome here. We have a log home and carpenter ants are battled on an annual basis.
     

    Mgderf

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    May 30, 2009
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    Lafayette
    These were fascinated with a cedar fence post for some reason. We do have literally hundreds of dead ash for them.

    I know what kind of firewood I will be burning this year, and the next, and the next...

    Many species of woodpeckers use different trees, or surfaces such as house siding and fence posts as "sounding boards".
    They use them to call mates. They are not always looking for food.

    When they find a surface that produces the tone they like, they won't quit, unless they find something better.

    I have a customer that live next to Happy Hollow Park on West Lafayette.
    His siding gets hit every year, but we have managed to lessen the damage by installing some sounding boxes.
    We used the same tongue and groove siding that is on the house.
    We made boxes about 8" square and about 2 feet tall.
    We hanged these about 6" away from the house at the roof level.
    The woodpeckers use it a lot, but unfortunately not exclusively.

    Maybe additional boxes are needed.
     
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