There are several types of woodpeckers that visit my yard regularly like the Red-Bellied Woodpecker or the Downy Woodpecker (below).
I’ve also spotted Hairy Woodpeckers and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and every once in a great while I get to see the beautiful Red-headed Woodpecker.
But I’ve always wanted to add a Pileated Woodpecker to my birding life list. I’ve held out hope for years that one would drop into the oak canopy in our neighborhood for a visit, but it’s never happened. Pileated Woodpeckers love carpenter ants and other insects that populate dead wood. Since it’s generally not a good idea to leave dead branches and trees hovering over houses in a thriving neighborhood we’ll never be able to provide the kind of habitat that will attract a Pileated Woodpecker.
However all is not lost. This fall I was thrilled to spot two of the birds. The first sighting occurred while we were on vacation in early fall in Vermont. We were driving on a winding country road when a big black bird flew in front of and just above our car. At first I thought it was a crow, but then I saw the undulating flight pattern common to woodpeckers, the long beak and a finally a flash of red. That’s when I knew I could finally add a Pileated to my life list.
Then in November I went for a hike in a state park. For most of the hike my friend and I didn’t hear any birds or animals stirring, so when we least expected it a very large black bird flew over our heads, landed on the side of a tree trunk and started pecking. I snuck up closer and was able to see the red crest—another Pileated Woodpecker sighting! This one was even more exciting because I got to watch the bird in action up close. For several minutes it flew from tree to tree looking for any insects that dared to make an appearance on that rare warm November day.
Not only are Pileated Woodpeckers big, but they are very noisy. Their call almost sounds like mocking laughter. I regretted the fact that I wasn’t carrying a camera with me, but now I’m kind of glad because I was able to soak up every minute of our chance encounter.
I’m still holding out hope that a Pileated Woodpecker will visit my yard someday, but in the mean time my birding life list is a little more complete.