How Big Are Pileated Woodpeckers? (Wingspan + Size)

woodpecker (peacock) is the largest surviving species of woodpecker in the United States. These striking black, red and white birds are found in northwestern Canada and the eastern United States as far south as Texas and Oklahoma.

So how big are Pileated woodpeckers, and how do they compare to other American woodpeckers?

Pileated Woodpeckers are often described as crow-sized, similar in length and mass to the fish crow of the southeastern United States. These large woodpeckers average about 17 inches in length from beak to tail, have a wingspan of 28 inches, and weigh about 10 ounces.

The woodpecker is one of the largest members of the woodpecker family tiger familya family comprising more than 230 species on five continents.

Pileated woodpeckers are similar in size to crows

They are much larger than any other American woodpecker, although the recently extinct and similar-looking ivory-billed woodpecker is slightly larger.

Pileated woodpeckers vary widely in size throughout their North American range. There are two recognized subspecies. Smaller Southeast Asian species of birds (D.P. duvet) is larger than the Northwest Territories subspecies (D. p. abieticola) but are very similar in appearance.

Read this article to learn all about the size of the woodpecker, a large and unique bird found in American forests and woodlands.

The Pileated woodpecker is the largest species of woodpecker in the Americas

woodpecker wingspan

Male and female woodpeckers typically have a wingspan between 26 and 29.5 inches (66 and 75 centimeters). Their broad black-and-white wings are about fifty percent wider than the next largest woodpecker species.

Woodpecker wings are not particularly long for a bird of their size. Their wingspan and overall body shape are very similar to Cooper’s hawks (Furutaka), one of their many predators.

Long wings are not very useful in a forest environment, especially for short flights between branches and trees. Woodpeckers, however, are capable of strong and direct flight, even if they are somewhat slow.

A woodpecker has a wingspan comparable to a cooper’s hawk

woodpecker weight

Pileated woodpeckers typically weigh between 8.8 and 12.3 ounces (250-350 grams), although some sources claim weights in excess of 14 ounces (400 grams).

They are large, robust woodpeckers, weighing more than twice as much as their closest competitor, the Northern Flicker (Gold wing mushroom) and Lewis Woodpecker (black belly lewis).

Female Pileated woodpeckers are slightly smaller than male woodpeckers, averaging 10 to 15 percent lighter.

How big are woodpeckers compared to humans?

Most woodpeckers measure between 16 and 19 inches (40-50 cm) from tip of beak to tip of tail. That’s about the length between the elbow and fingertip of many adults. Their wingspan is about the same as the average human arm, or a little shorter.

Male Pileated Woodpecker Visiting Suet Feeders

How Big Are Juvenile Pileated Woodpeckers?

Juvenile Pileated woodpeckers weigh between 6 and 8.5 ounces (170 and 240 grams) when they first leave the nest 24-31 days after hatching. At this age, both sexes weigh similarly.

When they take their first practice flights, their flight feathers are about three-quarters their adult body length, which shows in their poor flying skills.

Young birds will follow their parents for several months after leaving the nest, learning to improve flying and foraging skills.

Juvenile Pileated Woodpecker

How big was the biggest woodpecker ever?

The largest woodpeckers can weigh up to 14 ounces and be over 19 inches long.

Why are woodpeckers so big?

Pileated Woodpeckers are much larger than other American woodpeckers, and it’s natural to wonder why. Read on to find out how their impressive size benefits them.

Woodpeckers use their size and strength to chisel into wood to dig nests and find their invertebrate prey. With their long necks and powerful beaks, they strike logs and stumps at up to 15 miles per hour, which they do thousands of times a day.

However, these digs are not only necessary for their own survival. Researchers with the USDA Forest Service describe Pileated woodpeckers as ecosystem engineers because they alter the environment in ways that benefit other species in the environment.

woodpecker foraging in winter

Many other birds and mammals use their nests as shelters and breeding grounds. They also break down the nutrients in the dead wood into fine chips, which they return to the forest soil.

You might think that their large size means that these birds eat large prey, but in fact, woodpeckers’ diet consists mostly of ants and other small invertebrates that live in dead wood. They also feed on other invertebrates, fruit, and even visit backyard bird feeders from time to time.

Powerful pecking is not only convenient for housework and finding food. Woodpeckers use their powerful hammering skills to communicate with other members of their species – a technique called drumming.

The birds choose a resonating tree trunk to drum to a rhythm that attracts potential mates and keeps their neighbors within their territory.

Read on to learn how the Pileated woodpecker compares to other American woodpecker species.

Woodpecker nest cavity with chicks outside

Pileated woodpecker, compared to other woodpecker species

Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers a bird watcher is likely to find in the United States. Only the recently extinct ivory-billed woodpecker (mulberry) are slightly larger, reaching lengths of up to 20 inches (50 cm) and weights of 1 pound (450 g) or more.

Unfortunately, the ivory-billed woodpecker is now considered extinct, although many hopeful birders still look for them in the forests of the southeastern United States.

Downy Woodpecker (Bamboo shoots) is the most common woodpecker species native to the United States. These familiar birds pale in comparison to woodpeckers. Weighing just over an ounce, downy woodpeckers are about ten times smaller than their giant relatives.

With such a large size and distinctive appearance, the Pileated woodpecker is unlikely to be confused with any other North American woodpecker species.

For beginning birders, compare the Pileated woodpecker to smaller species such as the bald-headed woodpecker (white larva) and the acorn woodpecker (anteater) might help since they have similar notation.