Hobbies And Interests
Pileated Woodpecker Physical Characteristics
Pileated woodpeckers measure between 16 and 19 inches in length when fully grown. The average wingspan of a pileated woodpecker is between 26 and 30 inches wide. Pileated woodpecker feathers are mostly black on the body and wings. White bands run along the sides of the woodpecker's face and down the sides of its neck, and red feathers form a crest at the top of its head. The crest is smaller in juvenile pileated woodpeckers. Male birds have additional red markings next to their bills and at the front of their heads. Pileated woodpeckers have sharp, pointed, dark-colored bills.
Pileated Woodpecker Habits
Pileated woodpeckers prefer large, mature forest habitats with an abundance of food such as fruit, nuts and insects. Pileated woodpeckers are territorial birds but are happy to share their territory with their mates throughout the year. Monogamous breeding pairs lay eggs in cavity nests that have usually been excavated from dead trees. A single clutch of eggs consists of between one and six eggs. Young pileated woodpeckers are cared for by both parents until they leave their nests at around four weeks after hatching. Pileated woodpeckers also drill holes into trees in search of the insects that live inside them. Carpenter ants make up a significant portion of the pileated woodpecker's diet. The pileated woodpecker has a loud call with an undulating pitch and produces a loud tapping sound with its beak when excavating holes in trees or trying to attract a mate.
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Physical Characteristics
Some aspects of the ivory-billed woodpecker's appearance are similar to those of the pileated woodpecker. The majority of the ivory-billed woodpecker's feathers are black, and it has a crest of red feathers on top of its head. Unlike the pileated woodpecker, the ivory-billed woodpecker has large patches of white feathers on it back and on its wings. The average ivory-billed woodpecker is between 18 and 20 inches in length and has a wingspan of between 30 and 31 inches. The name of this woodpecker is derived from the bird's long, sharp ivory-colored bill.
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Habits
The ivory-billed woodpecker's preferred habitats include mature forests --- particularly those with plenty of hardwoods --- and cypress swamps. Ivory-billed woodpeckers nest in tree cavities, where they lay between one and five eggs. Like the pileated woodpecker, the ivory-billed woodpecker strips bark from trees and drills holes into them in search of the insects that make up the bird's carnivorous diet. The drilling sound produced by the ivory-billed woodpecker can be identified by its double-knock pattern.