The Pileated woodpecker was the model for the cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. It is a large black-and-white bird with a bold red feathered crest and distinctive call. You may hear its powerful drumming before you see it.

In Oregon, its habitat includes older forests in the Blue Mountains, East and West Cascades, Klamath Mountains, Willamette Valley and Coast Range ecoregions. They prefer mature forests and younger forests with large snags and logs, requiring large diameter snags for nesting and foraging.

Pileated woodpeckers are an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains ecoregion. 

Hear the call and the drumming of the Pileated woodpecker

Photo by Jo Leach