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Did you know that Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest species of woodpeckers and they kind of look like Woody Woodpecker?

You can’t miss them because they are as big as a crow and have bright red heads. These giant woodpeckers live in many parts of the United States, and if they live near you, you will find lots of clues that make them easy to spot.

Look for them in large trees that grow in local parks,  greenbelts, and wooded areas near your house.

They especially love dead wood and snags where lots of bugs live. You will know they are present if you find BIG retangular holes in the snags or trees.

Their favorite food is carpenter ants. 

Another dead give-away is to listen for their loud call.

4 more facts about Pileated Woodpeckers

1. Woopeckers use their stiff tails to prop them against the tree while they are eating

2. They have chisel-like bills that they use to dig wood or peel bark from a tree when searching for insects to eat

3. They usually nest in tree holes.

4. They use their long sticky tongues to reach ants that are living in the dead wood that they excavate

GUTSY STUFF: Organize a neighborhood woodpecker hunt. See if you can find the rectangular holes in a nearby wooded area and check back often to see if they are pecking away on the hole. Don’t forget to listen for their call. You might even hear them from your house if they are flying nearby.

Click here to see if Pileated Woodpeckers live near you. And if they don’t, you might find other kinds of woodpeckers living near you.