Identifying the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the Pileated Woodpecker
Think you have seen an Ivory-billed Woodpecker? Or perhaps you are planning on searching for one? Here are important field marks and other information you'll need to distinguish Ivory-billed Woodpeckers from Pileated Woodpeckers.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Campephilus principalis
- Habitat is old-growth river forest
- Feeds primarily on beetle larvae
- Large bird, approximately 19˝ inches long
- Pale ivory-white bill
- Dark face and dark chin
- Crest is curved and pointed
- Male’s crest is bright red; female’s is entirely black
- Two white stripes, which don’t touch the bill, run from either side of the head and converge on the lower back
- White secondary feathers give appearance of a white “saddle” on the back
- Tail feathers are long and come to a point
- White trailing edge of the wing
- Call is a single loud tooting sound, somewhat similar to a nuthatch (Ivory-billed Woodpecker Call recorded in 1935; © 2005 Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
- Makes strong, single or double raps on trees
- Trees with extensively peeled bark are a characteristic sign of ivory-bill foraging
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
- Inhabits a wide variety of mature forest types
- Feeds on carpenter ants in fallen trees and stumps
- Crow-sized bird, approximately 16˝ inches long
- Dark-colored bill
- White chin. Male has red “moustache” on the face, touching the bill
- Male and female have red caps, not as pointed as an ivory-bill
- Two white stripes on the face touch the bill and run under wings
- Solid-colored back
- Shape of the tail feathers is more rounded
- Dark trailing edge of the wing
- Call is a single loud “kuk” or irregular series of notes, somewhat similar to a northern flicker
- Makes loud, territorial “drumming” sound
- Excavates long, rectangular holes in trees
The following diagrams show field marks of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and other species with similar species. Select the thumbnail for a larger image (PDF File—105 KB). All images courtesy of David Allen Sibley.
Additional Information:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) brochure about the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
(PDF File—2.13 MB)
The renowned artist David Allen Sibley has painted a "mock field guide page" for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, showing characteristic field marks for both male and female birds.
(PDF File—453 KB)
Historical range map of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, plus additional maps depicting the Ivory-billed Woodpeckers range in 1880 and 1930.
