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Pileated Woodpecker, Merritt Island |
When I was a kid, I loved to go hiking, and even though I wouldn't call myself a birder then, I still loved to see interesting birds. Because my dad is a birder, I actually learned the call of a Pileated Woodpecker long before I ever saw one. I still remember vividly my first time seeing one in person. Our family was camping at Bull Run Park in Virginia; I remember telling my parents I was going to go find a Pileated Woodpecker. And sure enough, as I was walking, maybe 30 min. later, one flew right by me, landed on a tree trunk for a second, and flew off. I was mesmerized. Since I announced I was going to find one ahead of time, it took a while before I convinced my family I actually saw one. Now seeing a Pileated Woodpecker is commonplace for me. I see them very frequently here in Florida. But something about seeing one brings up those childhood memories.
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Pileated Woodpecker, Orlando Wetlands Park |
Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpecker in the United States (with the exception of the possibly extinct Ivory-Billed), and they are easily identified. They are large and mostly black except for grey-white stripes on the face and a red crest on the top of their head. In Central Florida, I see them frequently at
Mead Gardens,
Merritt Island, and
Orlando Wetlands Park. In Maryland, I've seen them many times in the
Patapsco State Park.
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Pileated Woodpecker, Orlando Wetlands Park |
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Pileated Woodpecker, Orlando Wetlands Park |
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