The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest forest birds in North America. It's nearly the size of a crow, measuring up to 18 inches long with a 28 inch wingspan.


The pileated woodpecker digs characteristically rectangular holes in trees to find ants. They make their nests in the cavities of dead trees with multiple entrances. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half. Their nest holes make a crucial shelter to many other species including owls, ducks, swifts, bats and pine martens.