Diet
The pileated woodpecker eats
insects, fruits, and nuts. A large part of its diet is made up of carpenter ants and beetle larvae. It uses its sharp bill to pull bark off trees to expose ant colonies. It uses its long, sticky tongue to poke into holes and drag out the ants. It also digs out large rectangular holes in trees to create roosting and nesting spots and to expose insects!
Life Cycle
The pileated woodpecker makes its nest in a tree cavity. The female lays four eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs during the day and the male incubates the eggs at night. The chicks hatch after a little more than two weeks and fledge when they are about a month old.
Behavior
Although the pileated woodpecker is adapted to clinging to the sides of trees, it is a strong flyer and it sometimes hops around on the ground. The pileated woodpecker "drums" on hollow trees with its bill to claim territory.
You can pronounce pileated two ways, with a short I-sound (pill-ee-ated) or a long I-sound (pile-ee-ated).
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