Female Pileated Woodpecker
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I pulled up to this beautiful gal in my birding mobile (golf cart) while cruising around Everglades City. I had seen a male here at this pole before. They’ve both been busy excavating a new nest hole.
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Pileated Woodpecker (female)
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The male Pileated Woodpecker is the first to begin excavating a nest cavity and does most of the work, but the female will help as it nears completion.
Their entrance hole is oblong rather than round like most other woodpecker holes, and they don’t line their nests with any material except for leftover wood chips.
The nest construction usually takes 3-6 weeks, and nests are rarely reused in later years. Cavity depth can range from 10-24 inches.
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Pileated Woodpecker (female)
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Hmmmm….she looks up. Maybe her neighbor is saying something?
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Pileated Woodpecker (female)
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This pole is also someone else’s home.
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Osprey nest using recycled satellite dish on same pole
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I wonder if the Osprey are tired of the pound, pound, pound of the woodpecker’s beak. 😉
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