Pileated Woodpeckers Gunflint Style

I wish I could have measured the wingspan and weight of the two pileated woodpeckers I saw the other day. I was walking on the road when they swooped overhead and landed on a nearby tree. I had a great view of them and they were huge.

According to most online sources pileated woodpeckers are 16-19″ in length and have a 26-30″ wingspan. Most weigh between 8.8-14 ounces. I guess a 30″ wingspan is pretty big but when I saw them all I could think of was a prehistoric pterodactyl. I guess there was a sighting of a pterodactyl look-alike in Idaho the other day but I know these were woodpeckers.

When I hear pileated woodpeckers I refer to them as Northwoods Monkeys. They don’t sound like a bird to me, more like a monkey, hence the name. You can listen to the woodpecker in the video below and tell me if it sounds more like a monkey than a bird.