I feel very privileged to have saw one as I'm new to the bird world and only began feeding them in my garden 2 years ago. Now that I know this was a rare sight, I wish I had watched for longer or grabbed my phone to take a picture, but I was so upset at it trying to steal the babies that I ran out and chased it away. I stood for a few moments with my mouth gaping open as I thought it must be an escaped parrot at first !! I get the normal woodpeckers in my garden the black spotted, I think they're called with the red circle on their head but this one I'd say was massive in comparison. He was massive, absolutely beautiful and had the biggest bright red mohican on his head which was at least 2 inches high from his head, if not more. The bird landed on my blue tits nesting box, one foot on either side and was putting his head in and out trying to get the baby birds which were in there. The tongue of these birds is actually a bone called the hyoid, which wraps around the brain to provide extra shock absorption.I've just joined because I've discovered the bird in my garden last year was a very rare sight to see in the UK so I'm so excited and need to tell others.While seemingly a disadvantage, given the speeds at which they peck at hard surfaces, it’s a necessity to keep their eyeballs in their sockets. Their eyes have very limited maneuverability.This serves as a helmet, preventing and protecting their brain from getting damaged by the blows it receives when the woodpecker pecks at a high speed. Their skulls have spongy bones arranged in the form of a plate, and the cranium is tightly packed with little space between the brain and skull.Also, the upper beak is longer than the lower beak. Similar to other woodpeckers, to effectively chip away at hardwood, their beak has a dense, bony layer.Eggs are taken away by American martens, gray foxes, rat snakes, squirrels, and weasels. Predatory birds attack adults like bald eagles, barred owls, Cooper’s hawks, golden eagles, great horned owls, northern goshawks, red-shouldered hawks, and red-tailed hawks. While using their beaks, they strike at one area linearly and repeatedly to prevent concussing themselves.This aggression presents itself in the form of calling and chasing at other birds, striking with their wings, and jabbing at them with their bills. Once a pair has chosen a region to stay in, they will defend it aggressively, though they become a bit lenient during the winter. These woodpeckers are territorial and do not migrate.Pileated Woodpeckers also make shorter sounds like wuk, wuk, or cuk, cuk to settle a boundary dispute or provide a warning. The difference is in its greater resonance and uneven tone, with the emphasis on certain notes or overall rhythm changing during a call. They make a series of piping calls lasting several seconds, similar to that of a Northern Flicker’s rattling call. They do this not only to carve a nest but also to proclaim territory, sound an alarm, and attract a mate. Drumming takes place on hollow trees so that a clear sound resonates, following a pattern of a slow, deep rolling every 3 seconds. Like other woodpeckers, they are known for the drumming sounds they make when they rapidly peck on a tree. That bongo drum rattle ricocheting through the woods in short bursts might be a pileated woodpecker, especially if theres a handsome, crow-sized bird with.The oldest recorded Pileated woodpecker was 12 years and 11 months old. These birds are relatively long-lived, averaging 9-12 years.
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