Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus This information was scanned from The Birds of British Columbia (Campbell et al.), Volume II, pages 450-452. Volumes I, II and III of The Birds of British Columbia can be ordered electronically at: orders@ubcpress.ubc.ca from UBC Press in Vancouver, British Columbia.

 

Range Resident across forested Canada and the United States south to California, the Gulf coast and Florida.

Status Uncommon to rare resident in southern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island, becoming very rare throughout the remainder of the province except the northwest portion. Breeds.

Status Change No change.

Nonbreeding The Pileated Woodpecker is widely distributed across southern British Columbia becoming sparsely distributed across central British Columbia north through the Peace Lowlands to the northeastern regions of the province. There is only one record from western British Columbia north of 56°N. It frequents forested areas throughout its range from the mature coastal and interior Douglas-fir and western hemlock forests, including adjacent logged and second growth areas, to the open deciduous and mixed woods of the Chilcotin Cariboo Basin. In winter, it probes for insects deep within dead trees and is often found in residential areas where it feeds on cultivated fruit or suet at feeders. The paucity of winter records north of Williams Lake suggests that most birds leave the northern parts of their range to winter in southern valleys or at the coast. Occasionally, they winter as far north as Fort Nelson. The Pileated Woodpecker has been reported from near sea level to 1,200 m elevation.

Breeding Nests Eggs Young The Pileated Woodpecker breeds across southern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island, north on the coast to Bella Coola, and in the interior at least to Vanderhoof (Munro, J.A. 1955a) and Ormond Lake. Erskine and Davidson (1976) report 2 pairs near cavities in the Fort Nelson area; however, details sufficient to confirm breeding are lacking. The Pileated Woodpecker likely breeds throughout its range in the province. It frequents a wide variety of forested habitats from open deciduous forests to dense, mature coniferous stands.

Nests:  Most nests (70%; n=44) were situated in deciduous trees including trembling aspen (32%), black cotton-wood (25%), birches, alders, and maples. Other sites included coniferous trees (18%) and a power pole. Living trees (66%) were used more than dead trees. Similar results were found by Keisker (1986) on her Orchard Lake study area. All nests were located in excavated cavities in the main trunk of the nest tree. Nest materials were primarily the finer wood chips from the excavation process. Heights of 58 nests ranged from 4 to 30 m with 68% between 6.4 and 12.2 m. Depths of 6 cavities ranged from 41 to 66 cm. Diameter of the oval entrance hole for 5 nests ranged from 8 by 10 cm to 10 by 15 cm. In Keisker's (1986) study area, Pileated Woodpecker nests were not found in trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of less than 25.8 cm; the mean DBH of nest trees on her study site was 40.5 cm. Eggs: Dates for 9 clutches ranged from 24 April to 28 June. Calculated dates indicate that eggs could be found as early as 15 April. Clutch size ranged from 2 to 4 eggs (2E-1, 3E-2, 4E-6). One nest record indicated that one egg is laid each day, with incubation by both sexes. Incubation period is 18 days (Hoyt, J.S.Y.1944). Young: Dates for 18 broods ranged from 7 May to 12 July with 10 broods recorded between 12 and 27 June. Brood size ranged from 1 to 5 young (1Y-1, 2Y-7, 3Y-8, 4Y-1, 5Y-1) with 15 broods having 2 or 3 young. Fledging period is 22 to 26 days (Hoyt, J.S.Y. 1944).

Remarks The American Ornithologists' Union (1957) reports 2 subspecies for British Columbia: D. p. picinus and D. p. abieticola. Godfrey (1986) notes that the area of intergradation between the 2 races in the province is not well known. See Mellen (1987) for a discussion of the Pileated Woodpecker's home range and habitat use in western Oregon, and, S.F. Hoyt (1957) for additional information on its ecology.