Who Done It?

Question

Photo by Dennis Deck

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 ]








































































































Answer

Yes, this was a woodpecker--but which species.

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.







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