Tonight I went back to the Pileated Woodpecker nest. I was watching it for awhile and saw a parent enter and leave the nest twice but had still not seen any babies. Finally as I was getting close to leaving, a parent flew over to the nest again. This time the parent didn’t enter the nest but stayed outside and the babies finally poked their heads out.
Woodpeckers maintain clean nests by removing fecal sacs. After feeding, a nestling typically produces a fecal sac, which the parent grabs immediately. This behavior keeps the nest sanitary, preventing bacteria buildup and parasitic infestations, which is crucial for deep, dark cavity nests. By removing these waste sacks, parents prevent odor from attracting predators to the nest site. Parents can remove over 60–70 sacs daily, depending on the number of chicks.
Flying out of the nest.
Babies!
You can see some of the food between the parents beak in this shot.
Feeding the babies.
Baby dinosaur
These are the first photos I have seen of adult pileated woodpeckers feeding their babies. Wonderful shots.
So interesting and amazing photos. Thanks so much !
Your patience paid off, Very interesting to learn how they care for their babies. Lovely photos showing their journey with their babies. Love a clean house!!!