[Sound of nestlings begging] [A male pileated woodpecker is clinging to a tree. The tree has a round hole in it. As he approaches the hole, a nestling appears. The nestling sticks its head out of the hole. The adult feeds it. A second nestling sticks its head out and gets fed by the adult. The adult moves away from the hole.] [Pileated woodpecker calls] [Explore Macaulaylibrary.org]
End of transcriptA Pileated Woodpecker Feeds His Two Nestlings
These large, striking woodpeckers live in mature deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands. Nest cavities may take 3-6 weeks to construct and most of the excavation is done by the male. Cavity depth can range from 10-24 inches. Excavations made for nesting cavities like this one are often used by other birds and mammals for shelter, once the Pileated has moved on. Here, a parent feeds his waiting nestlings and then heads out to continue foraging.
This video accompanies Chapter 11, Breeding Biology of Birds, Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Edition from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Wiley Publishing.
Recorded by Timothy Barksdale, Macaulay Library