Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) are the largest woodpecker in Canada, about the size of a crow. Mostly black, with white stripes on the head and neck and a brilliant red crest, they are unmistakable. Only the males have a red moustache. They dig rectangular holes in trees with their strong, sharp bills and use their long, barbed tongues to extract carpenter ants, woodboring beetle larvae, termites and other insects and spiders. Abandoned holes are used for shelter and nesting by squirrels, other birds and even snakes and amphibians. Monogamous pairs vigorously defend their large territories year-round. (Helga Knote photos)
