Pixels at an Exhibition: Pileated Woodpecker

Monday, April 30, 2012

I've been gunning for this guy for years. Large here.

Generik said...: East Coast woodpeckers are so much more interesting than the ones we see out here. Love that bright red crest.; April 30, 2012 at 7:34 PM
ahab said...: He's a huge thing too. And his call sounds like a hyena or something really ancient and wild. A primal shriek. It's the Woody Woodpecker woodpecker.

A pair of them live on the hill behind my house. Too cool. They call back and forth and tap on trees to keep in touch. They turn a tame, temperate little wood into a jungle world.

There's a sound file here but IMO it doesn't do it justice. The tree tapping is right but in my experience the call usually lacks the slow prelude, it is somewhat faster, and it is much louder.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pileated_woodpecker/sounds

This one's a little better:

http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/pileated-woodpecker; May 1, 2012 at 5:04 AM
Tom Hilton said...: Beautiful bird.; May 2, 2012 at 6:26 AM
Generik said...: Nice sound clip!

Sort of along those same lines, you might enjoy this video that my dad sent me.; May 2, 2012 at 9:45 AM
ahab said...: Thanks for the clip, G. Osprey are amazing birds. We have a bunch here at my lake migrating through right now. I haven't yet got my annual shot of one hauling off a big trout, but I'm watching.; May 3, 2012 at 3:04 AM