Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)


Group	Woodpeckers
Code	ABNYF12020
Order	Piciformes
Family	Picidae
Author	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	P (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	all
Southern LP	Kalamazoo, Hillsdale, Ionia, Kent, Lapeer, Livingston, Ottawa, Van Buren, Shiawassee, Sanilac, St. Joseph, St. Clair, Clinton, Gratiot, Cass, Branch, Berrien, Barry, Allegan, Montcalm, Muskegon

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

      (Assorted Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven)) 
      or (Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Swamp Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Bottomland Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      (Snags and Dead Down Woody Debris and Mast)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	no	no	no	no
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	no	no	no
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Tamarack	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	none
Special Features	Dead Down Woody Debris, Mast, Snags

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Literature:

Ebbers, B. C. 1991. Pileated Woodpecker. Pages 274-275 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: Pileated Woodpeckers usually nest in mature forests with an abundance of dead or aged trees of sufficient size to house the large excavated nesting cavity. For this reason the Pileated is often used as an indicator of old-growth forest. The preferred nesting habitat in Michigan appears to be mesic deciduous forest, particularly beech-maple, but deciduous lowland forests and mixed conifer-hardwoods are also utilized. Other habitat types, including cedar swamps and aspen stands, are important for feeding but not nesting.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Extensive second growth and mature coniferous, deciduous, or mixed forests, often in lowlands near rivers and wooded swamps; woodlots near farms and residential areas. Prefer areas with high basal area and high stem density. Wintering: Birds are permanent residents, generally remaining in breeding habitat year round. Birds have recently been found breeding in city parks with large trees.

Special Habitat Requirements: Mature forest with large dead or dying trees greater than 14.2 inches for nesting and feeding. Trees with heart rot that attract carpenter ants, a winter staple.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Conifer, mixed and hardwood forests; woodlots. Favors mature deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forest, also coniferous forest. Wide variety of specific forest types from southern swamps to old-growth Douglas-fir forest of northwest. Also in second growth and fragmented woodlots, as long as some large trees are present.

Diet: Mostly ants and other insects, also fruits, nuts. Carpenter ants may be up to 60% of diet; also eats other ants (rarely digging into anthills on ground), termites, larvae of wood-boring beetles, other insects. About one-quarter of the diet may be wild fruits, berries, and nuts.

Nest: Site is a cavity in a dead tree or in dead branch of a live tree, sometimes in utility pole, usually 15-80 feet above ground. Generally makes a new cavity each year.