Pileated Woodpecker, Wow Still Around

It must have been five years since I saw the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) in the area where the bridge is connecting the Aurora Nokiidaa trail link with Newmarket.

This is exactly in the same area when I photographed a glimpse of him that many years ago. Then I had to venture out to the deep grass and bushes and to only snap a very blurred photo. This time I had little more luck.

I am not sure if it is the same woodpecker from that time but same species for sure. The Pileated Woodpecker is double or even tripple the size compared to the Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), a more common woodpecker species around.


Now that we have a bridge on the Nokiidaa Trail link it is much easier to spot them, especially during fall, as there are no leaves to hide them.

According to the bird book my photo shows female Pileated Woodpecker. For the bird enthusiasts I found him on my right side of the bridge facing North. To see the woodpecker binoculars will help. I shot this photo at 400 mm focal length and it still seems like far away.