With their mohawk red hair and wood stabbing habit, Pileated woodpeckers are easily recognizable to anyone. Woodpeckers are about the size of a crow and they’re considered the largest forest birds on the continent. They are 16-19.5” in length and weigh around 8.8-16 ounces.

They have a black body with a few major white stripes, but their most noticeable feature is their flaming-red crest.

The male also has a red mustache which helps them become distinguishable from the female.

These birds spend most of their day making rectangular holes in trees to look for insects to eat. These holes later serve a different purpose as ducks, bats, swifts, and owls use them as shelter. So as you can expect, Pileated woodpeckers can mostly be found in mature forests that offer an abundance of dead trees and downed logs.

These exotic birds can mostly be found in eastern North America, the boreal forests of Canada, parts of the Pacific Coast, and the Great Lakes. Woodpeckers are territorial, but they can show compassion to immigrants as well.

Pileated woodpecker pairs stay together and defend their territories all year. However, during the cold winter days, they may allow new arrivals.