pájaro carpintero paliado

1. Nombre del ave
The bird being discussed here is the Pileated Woodpecker. The scientific (Latin) name for this species is Dryocopus pileatus.

2. Aspecto
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the most striking forest birds on the continent with a predominantly black body, often appearing as jet-black from a distance. Upon closer observation, its coat displays a subtle mix of charcoal grey and deep black, serving as the backdrop to other standout features. The woodpecker’s underparts and wings have white to the grayish lining. The bird’s head, strikingly adorned with a red crest and a white line extending from the beak to the throat, gives it an unmistakable appearance. Its beak is chisel-like, perfect for its drilling and foraging habits, and its eyes are a captivating yellow. There is no significant difference in the plumage between males and females, but the males feature a distinctive red stripe on the cheek, which is black in females.

3. Tamaño
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. They measure 16 to 19 inches in length, have a wingspan averaging 26 to 30 inches, and usually weigh between 250 to 350 grams.

4. Hábitat y distribución
Pileated Woodpeckers are widely distributed across North America, stretching from the northern parts of the United States up to Canada. They inhabit vast tracts of mature and second-growth forests, woodlands, and wooded backyards, displaying a preference for densely forested areas rich with dead or dying wood, which is their prime food source.

5. Datos de interés
Pileated Woodpeckers have a unique feeding behavior: instead of drilling circular holes, they excavate deep into the wood to dig out long trenches in search of insects – a behavior not seen in many other species. Also, they are often mistaken for the believed-to-be-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker due to their similar size and color patterns. Pileated Woodpeckers have made notable appearances in popular culture, most famously as the inspiration for Walter Lantz’s popular Woody Woodpecker cartoons.

6. Dieta
The Pileated Woodpecker feeds primarily on insects, namely the carpenter ant and wood-boring beetle larvae. However, they are also known to snack on fruits, nuts, and berries.

7. Comportamiento y sonidos
Pileated Woodpeckers are renowned for their loud drumming and striking call – a loud, wild laughter similar to ‘kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk’. The woodpeckers have a unique flying pattern marked by several rapid wing flaps followed by a quick glide. They are solitary birds outside mating season, and pairs stay in their territories all year round.

8. Estado de conservación
According to the IUCN Red List, the Pileated Woodpecker is listed as a species of “Least Concern” due to its large range and somewhat stable population trends.

9. Vida útil
Pileated Woodpeckers typically live around 12-13 years in the wild, although the oldest known Pileated Woodpecker lived to be at least 13 years and 11 months old.

10. Notas adicionales
In some Native American mythologies, the Pileated Woodpecker is considered to be a protective spirit and a symbol of rejuvenation due to its role in the ecosystem to control wood-boring insect population. The Pileated Woodpecker is known as ‘Grand pic’ in French, ‘Carpintero Pico Plateado’ in Spanish, and ‘Helmspecht’ in German. The way they interact with humans depends largely on the situation; they are known to flee from busy and noisy areas, but in residential areas, they might visit backyard suet feeders.