I observed a bird make this hole in a tree at Emigrant Springs State Park in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon.
Which bird is it? [ View Answer ]
For such a modest diameter, this hole is deep. The pileated woodpecker, of course,
is the North American species with the longest bill.
While most pileated holes I have seen are large and recangular, this particular fellow was
prone to narrow, deep holes. I found other examples in the vicinity, leading me to speculate
that the pileated may carve different holes depending on the type of insect it is hunting.
Answer
Yes, this was a woodpecker--but which species.