According to eBird, there are 400 species of birds on the Ocean County, NJ list. This lofty number includes vagrants, one-day wonders and historical records (the latter is what I refer to as those that were last seen before the year 2000). The list also does not include exotic species and escapees. The list does include a few ghost birds; birds that I know are around, but they seem to always elude detection. One such ghost bird in the county is the Pileated Woodpecker. A few live in the western portion of the county, particularly around New Egypt in Plumsted Township. Most of the birders around here know where to look for them, but most search attempts are usually futile. Today, I lucked out. I went to one of their “known” locations and was able to see one and hear another.
Pileated woodpeckers, Fort Mose Historic State Park, St. Augustine, FL (2018). © S. Weiss
The pair in the left photo is of a female (left) and a male (right). The male is distinguished from the female by its red malar stripe, the stripe running from the bill across the cheek. This red mustache is much easier to see in the photo on the right. The female's stripe is black.
My life pileated woodpecker happened in St. Johns County, Florida in 2017. They seem much easier to find down there, probably due to there being much, much more desirable habitat. My first for New Jersey was in 2019 when I just happened to see one along the side of the road on Route 206 in Branchville, Sussex County. I finally found the ghost in Ocean County in 2021 at the very spot I was at today. That day I saw and photographed a pair, male and female, working the trees at the edge of a recreational field. Today, while standing in the same field, I had one fly over my head and towards the back of the same lot of trees. I did not take a picture because, honestly, when I saw it approaching, I thought it was a duck, maybe wood duck. Not till it was over my head that I realized it was a pileated woodpecker. Soon after I lost it through the trees, I heard one drumming from the opposite end of the wood lot. The sound was unmistakable as it resonated throughout the park. I relayed that information to my friend Larry, who ironically mentioned in his blog earlier in the day that he finds it hard to believe that some birders can claim to identify a woodpecker species by the noise it bangs off of a tree. While I agree in general, we both agreed that a pileated’s drumming sound is unique.
New Jersey pileated woodpeckers. © S. Weiss
The male on the left was at Branchville in 2019. The male on the right was at New Egypt in 2021.
When you see a pileated flyover, you realize just how big they are; its size is huge compared to our other woodpeckers. That is what makes this ghost bird even more amazing. How does such a large bird manage to avoid being seen? At about 16-1/2 inches, it is the largest extant woodpecker in the United States. It is about four inches bigger than the next largest, the northern flicker. Its wingspan is about nine inches wider too! Other birds that I might consider as ghost birds, like black rail, yellow rail and sedge wren are tiny (about six, seven and four-and-one-half inches, respectively) and it is their inherent nature to remain hidden and live a secretive lifestyle. But this large, black, white and red bird goes about its daily routine foraging amongst the trees, hidden whilst in the open.
Pileated woodpeckers, Seminole, FL (2021). © S. Weiss
Pileated woodpeckers are so named for their distinctive red crest. At about 16-1/2 inches in length, it is the largest woodpecker in the United States. Only the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, at about 18-plus inches was larger. Now considered extinct, it would be the ultimate ghost bird if rumors of its existence are ever confirmed. The pileated woodpecker's 29-inch wingspan is similar to that of the aforementioned wood duck (30 inches).
*******
Also seen today:
American kestrel. © S. Weiss
The kestrel is the smallest falcon in the United States, and the most colorful too. It is about nine inches in length, much smaller than a pileated woodpecker, but easier to spot as it hunts in open field areas.
Red-shouldered hawk. © S. Weiss
An adult red-shouldered hawk is about one-half inch longer in body length than a pileated woodpecker.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker. © S. Weiss
At about eight-and-one-half inches in length, the yellow-bellied woodpecker is about half the size of a pileated woodpecker. The pileated woodpecker's wingspan is about a foot wider.
Comments
Post a Comment