This thing was big, and it was loud. We first noticed it from the sound of its pecking on a tree, but then it swooped over us and flew up the trail a little ways, making a loud set of calls. I don't remember ever hearing a call quite like it. Up to that point we had only seen small birds, like nuthatches and black-capped chickadees, all of which this woodpecker could have eaten for lunch! The pileated is about a foot-and-a-half long, while those littler birds are only about six inches long. It made quite an impression!
The bird takes its name from the red, hairy-looking feathers on its head. Pileated means "crested" and comes from the Latin "pileatus" meaning "wearing a felt cap". (Thank you, dictionary.com !) This word is also related to the Latin "pilus", meaning "hair".
This particular pileated woodpecker happened to be a female. How do I know? According to my research, the males have a red line running from their bill to their throat, and on the females, this line is black. You can see in this picture that ours has a black line.
The moral of the story? Get out on the trail. You never know what you might find!
Hey, I was there with you that day! It was an awesome time spent with friends and nature!
ReplyDeleteIt really was an awesome hike, and I was glad to share it with you guys. We need to go again!
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