SCOTT SHALAWAY Pileated woodpeckers prefer big trees

As he tells the story, my hunter friend had been comfortably strapped in his tree stand for several hours. The deer weren't moving, and eventually his eyes grew heavy. Next thing he knew, a series of loud staccato shrieks roused him. When he opened his eyes, a large black and white bird was flying straight at him..
In those few seconds of mental fogginess between sleep and wakefulness, he felt panic and fear, not knowing if the "attack" was real, imagined, or dream-induced.
Simply curious: But he quickly realized that the intruder was simply curious. He kept his camo-clothed body motionless, and the "Indian hen," as he called it, landed right next to him. It eyeballed him for a good five seconds. Satisfied that the strange object represented no threat, the bird flew off, cackling again like a tropical jungle bird.
Based on my friend's enthusiastic telling of the tale, he was more excited by the close encounter than embarrassed by having fallen asleep in the tree. And I don't blame him. It's not every day a pileated woodpecker lands within arm's reach.
Pileated (PIE-lee-ated is the preferred pronunciation, PIL-ee-ated is acceptable) woodpeckers are crested, crow-sized, black, white, and red woodpeckers that inhabit mature eastern forests. The top of the male's head is bright red from the base of the bill to the top of the crest. He also wears a red mustache. Females lack the red mustache and forehead.
Because pileateds are big birds, they require big trees in which to excavate their nest and roost cavities. That's why they prefer mature forests. Young timber stands simply don't have trees large enough to meet their needs..
Older stands also provide the proper winter diet.
Ant eaters: During cold weather, pileateds eat large black carpenter ants that inhabit dead and decaying branches, logs and stumps. These ants are what pileateds are hunting when they visit an old stump and appear to tear it apart. Younger forest stands lack large pieces of dead wood and the ants that inhabit it.
Pileated woodpeckers also eat a variety of other insects, fruits, berries, and nuts.
This magnificent "capped tree cutter" (the literal translation of its scientific name, Dryocopus pileatus) is truly a sight to behold. But pileateds are more often heard than seen. So jungle-like are their loud "cuk, cuk, cuk" calls that they bring to mind images of an old Tarzan movie. And their habit of drumming on resonant dead branches also attracts immediate attention. Both sounds carry far through the woods and help mated pairs communicate. These sounds also declare ownership of a territory that may exceed 200 acres.
Courtship heats up in April. I hear calls and drumming every morning. Though pileateds pair for life, these behaviors strengthen the bonds for the upcoming nesting season. The pair works together to excavate a new nest cavity that will soon cradle a clutch of four white eggs. The large rectangular hole, longer than wide, opens into a cavity that may be as much as two feet deep..
Male helps out: Incubation lasts 16 to 18 days, and unlike many birds, the male does more than his fair share. During the day the parents take turns incubating in one or two hour shifts, but the male warms the eggs at night. The female sleeps in a nearby roosting cavity.
After the eggs hatch, the parents spend about a month feeding the hungry growing brood. But even if you watch a nest closely, it's difficult to know when hatching occurs. The adults feed the chicks by regurgitation, so you're unlikely to see an adult carry food to the nest. When the chicks are about two weeks old, they begin to climb to the hole to wait for the next feeding.
Finding an active pileated cavity is not as difficult as it may seem. Hike through portions of the woods where you hear pileateds and search the ground for piles of fresh wood chips. If there's no one with a chain saw nearby, look 20 to 80 feet directly overhead. You should find a hole.
UCatch Scott's radio show on the Internet at www.1360wptt.com every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.