Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are very common in this area, mainly

The Pileated Woodpecker, photo taken by Gayle Trivers

because we have six different species. They are the Red-headed, the Pileated, the Common Flicker, the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, the Downy, the Hairy and Black-backed Three-toed Woodpeckers. The Pileated, being the most unique, deserves a little description: they are large and black, with white stripes running across the face and down the neck. On their heads they have a large red crest. They are the largest woodpeckers we have in this area. All of them range from 6.5 to 19.5 inches. They eat bugs and insects which live in dead or dying trees, or in the bark of living trees. They are a common pest to people who have log homes because the birds look for bugs in the logs. They can be found in just about any forest in the area, and if you don't see them you may spot their large or small oval holes, which are made by their large, strong beaks.