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Dryocopus pileatus
Pileated Woodpeckers sleep (roost) and nest in cavities (holes) of live pine trees. Cavities are built only in large, old pines. The birds peck the bark around the entrance to get the sap (resin) flowing around the hole. The sticky sap keeps predators like snakes away from the nest cavity.

The male bird is from 16-19" from tail to head (crow-sized) and has a flaming red crest. The female has a blackish forehead, and lacks the red mustache below the eyes.

The Pileated Woodpecker is no longer on the endangered species list.

Still Reason for Concern: Pileated Woodpeckers may still have problems because the open forests with big, old pine trees have been replaced by forests with younger, smaller pines. Also, periodic natural fires which historically kept the pinewoods open have been suppressed since settlement. Periodic fire is needed to control the brushy understory and keep the pinewoods open. Controlled burns are the main reason this bird has become more widespread and removed from the listing of endangered.

"The Pileated Woodpecker is no longer on the endangered species list"

I should hope not since we have 4 sets of them living nearby - noisy birds but fun to watch! The woodpeckers/sapsuckers of all species are abundant in this area - and we have had LOGGING in Arkansas for over a century!

Woodpeckers are about as endangered as a spotted owl - and they "require" a specific aged tree as much as that same spotted own "required" old growth trees also - old growth neon signs in the city made real good homes for those owls!

The Sierra Club is interested only in what most of these left-wing radicals are --- power to tell others what to do.

Haven't you noticed that after they throw everyone off an area, they allow themselves full access - WITH SUV's!! and 4-Wheelers and snowmobiles --- but ONLY the sierra Club.

http://www.gohotsprings.com/focus/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=64&page=1

Pilieated Woodpeckers....

Wow! We just saw one of these for the first time ever in our backyard here in east Tennessee. What a beautiful bird, and so big compared to all the other woodpeckers that frequent our backyard.

I'm keeping the camera handy just in case it wasn't just passing through.