Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopus pileatus)

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in Vermont, and are truly a sight to behold! They are a very important forest species because of their habit of excavating large holes in tree trunks. A pileated woodpecker pair typically excavates a new large tree cavity every year for its nest, and these birds also produce holes while feeding on insects living in the wood. Abandoned cavities become homes for bats, fishers, owls, squirrels and other creatures. Although other birds such as the yellow-bellied sapsucker create cavities that are more numerous, their cavities are often too small to serve as nests for other species. The pileated woodpecker's role in creating habitat for cavity-nesting species is so important that it has been called a "keystone species" -- one that disproportionately affects its environment and the number of animals in it.

You can often find pileated woodpeckers in the wooded parts areas of South Burlington, along with the characteristic rectangular holes that pileated woodpeckers excavate. Maintaining large snags (dead trees) in the South Burlington forests is an important management practice for encouraging the pileated woodpecker to nest in the town.