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Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

Bird · family Picidae · order Piciformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Pileated Woodpecker
Photo: Shenandoah National Park from Virginia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
44 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
12 years[4]

The Pileated Woodpecker is a large bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae[5]. It is ranked Secure by NatureServe[2] and is native in 44 US states and territories, from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest[3].

Conservation status

NatureServe ranks the Pileated Woodpecker G5 (Secure) worldwide[2] and N5 (Secure) across the United States[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], which means it has no federal ESA listing. As a migratory bird on the federal list, it is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Where Pileated Woodpecker lives

NatureServe lists this woodpecker as native in 44 US states and territories[3]. That includes much of the East and South, such as Maine, New York, Florida and Texas, plus parts of the Midwest and the Northwest, such as Minnesota, Montana, Washington, Oregon and California[3].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S5MEWisconsin: native, state rank S4WIVermont: native, state rank S5VTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: native, state rank S4WAIdaho: native, state rank S4IDMontana: native, state rank S3MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S3NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S4MAOregon: native, state rank S4ORNevada: native, state rank S2NVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S1SDIowa: native, state rank S3BIAIndiana: native, state rank S4INOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S5BPANew Jersey: native, state rank S4B,S4NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank S1B,S1NRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: native, state rank S1NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRMOKentucky: native, state rank S5KYWest Virginia: native, state rank S5B,S5NWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S5MDDelaware: native, state rank S3DEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: native, state rank S3KSArkansas: native, state rank S4ARTennessee: native, state rank S4TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S3DCOklahoma: native, state rank S3OKLouisiana: native, state rank S5LAMississippi: native, state rank S5MSAlabama: native, state rank S5ALGeorgia: native, state rank S4GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S4BTXFlorida: native, state rank S4FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (44 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5Secure
ArkansasS4Apparently Secure
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareS3Vulnerable
District of ColumbiaS3Vulnerable
FloridaS4Apparently Secure
GeorgiaS4Apparently Secure
IdahoS4Apparently Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4Apparently Secure
IowaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
KansasS3Vulnerable
KentuckyS5Secure
LouisianaS5Secure
MaineS5Secure
MarylandS5Secure
MassachusettsS4Apparently Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MississippiS5Secure
MissouriSNRNot Ranked
MontanaS3Vulnerable
NebraskaS1Critically Imperiled
NevadaS2Imperiled
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS5Secure
North DakotaS3Vulnerable
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaS3Vulnerable
OregonS4Apparently Secure
PennsylvaniaS5BSecure (breeding)
Rhode IslandS1B,S1NCritically Imperiled (breeding), Critically Imperiled (nonbreeding)
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS1Critically Imperiled
TennesseeS4Apparently Secure
TexasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
VermontS5Secure
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS4Apparently Secure
West VirginiaS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
WisconsinS4Apparently Secure

Habitat

This bird lives in hardwood, conifer and mixed forests and woodlands, and in riparian areas, which are wooded strips along streams and rivers[11]. In the Southeast it tends to pick leafy deciduous woods, while in the North and West it leans toward conifer forest[12]. It does best where trees are tall with a closed canopy and where large stretches of forest are nearby, and in some places it also turns up in town parks and leafy neighborhoods[12]. Each year it uses at least 4 tree holes, but raises its young in only one[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

The Pileated Woodpecker mostly eats insects[13]. Its main foods are carpenter ants and beetle grubs, which it chips out of standing trees, stumps and fallen logs, and it also digs into ant mounds on the ground and eats fruits and seeds[14]. One estimate puts its diet at 70% invertebrates, 20% fruit and 10% seeds[15]. A typical adult is about 42 cm (17 in) long[16]. Its typical weight is 308 g[17]. A typical clutch size is 4[18], incubation takes 18 days[19], and the longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 13 years[20].

Trait Value
Typical length[16] 42 cm (17 in)
Typical adult weight[17] 308 g (10.9 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[20] 13 years (wild)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 12 years 11 months
Litter or clutch size[18] 4
Gestation or incubation[19] 18 days
Female maturity[21] 354 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[13] Invertivore
Migration[22] non-migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[15]

  • 70% invertebrates
  • 20% fruit
  • 10% seeds

When to look for it

This woodpecker is diurnal, which means it is active during the day[23]. It is classed as a non-migrant, though populations can differ[22], and some birds in the northern part of the range drift south in fall, as seen in West Virginia and New York[24]. Pairs get noisier with calls and drumming in February and early March in the Southeast, and from March into early April farther north[25]. GBIF records in the US peak in April, May and September[26].

January: 309,051 recordsJanFebruary: 331,153 recordsFebMarch: 399,453 recordsMarApril: 626,928 recordsAprMay: 702,407 recordsMayJune: 332,597 recordsJunJuly: 213,626 recordsJulAugust: 272,736 recordsAugSeptember: 428,095 recordsSepOctober: 360,536 recordsOctNovember: 267,073 recordsNovDecember: 294,541 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[26].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January309,051
February331,153
March399,453
April626,928
May702,407
June332,597
July213,626
August272,736
September428,095
October360,536
November267,073
December294,541

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Pileated Woodpecker as present in 133 park units[27]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 109 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland[28]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Pileated Woodpecker endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure)[2]. It is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8].
Where does the Pileated Woodpecker live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 44 US states and territories[3]. It lives in hardwood, conifer and mixed forests and woodlands, and along streams[11].
What does the Pileated Woodpecker eat?
It mostly eats carpenter ants and beetle grubs dug out of wood, plus other insects, fruits and seeds[14]. One estimate puts its diet at 70% invertebrates, 20% fruit and 10% seeds[15].
How big is a Pileated Woodpecker?
A typical adult is about 42 cm (17 in) long[16]. Its typical weight is 308 g[17].
How long does a Pileated Woodpecker live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 13 years[20]. The oldest known banded wild bird was at least 12 years 11 months old[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Pileated Woodpecker is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Pileated Woodpecker: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Pileated Woodpecker as native in 44 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Pileated Woodpecker from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 12 years 11 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is a bird in the family Picidae, order Piciformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Pileated Woodpecker is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for Pileated Woodpecker (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for Pileated Woodpecker: Forest - hardwood, Forest - conifer, Forest - mixed, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for Pileated Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  13. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on food for Pileated Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 70% invertebrates, 20% fruit, 10% seeds. EltonTraits 1.0
  16. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 42 cm (17 in). NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 308 g (10.9 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  18. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 4. AnAge
  19. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 18 days. AnAge
  20. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 13 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  21. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 354 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  22. NatureServe migration category for Pileated Woodpecker: non-migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  23. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal. NatureServe Explorer
  24. NatureServe notes on migration for Pileated Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  25. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Pileated Woodpecker. NatureServe Explorer
  26. GBIF observation records of Pileated Woodpecker in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  27. NPSpecies park lists recording Pileated Woodpecker as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  28. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Pileated Woodpecker: Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Shenandoah National Park from Virginia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.