Have you ever wondered what the size of a Pileated Woodpecker is? Just like you, I was also curious to know about their size.
And it led me on a rabbit hole journey about Pileated woodpeckers.
Here I brought you this compact article about the Pileated woodpecker size. I’ve covered all the aspects related to their size and also compare them with others.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Pileated Woodpecker Length
Did you know that the Pileated Woodpecker is one of the continent’s largest and most stunning woodland birds?
The Pileated is a large bird that can be seen without binoculars and is endemic to Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the eastern part of the United States.
The adult pileated woodpecker’s height ranges between 15.8 to 19.3 inches (40-49 cm). Unlike other birds who exhibit gender dimorphism, the male and female pileated woodpeckers are both around the same size and so have the same length.
| Length in Centimeters | Length in Inches | Length in Feet | |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 40-49 | 15.8-19.3 | 1.3-1.6 |
The average length of Pileated Woodpeckers is around 1.45 feet long.
Pileated Woodpecker Weight
Pileated Woodpeckers are insanely huge. In addition to their stunning and beautiful appearance, like their distinctive red crests and black-white face striking, their body weight is also something to think about.
Now talking about the weight, Adult Pileated Woodpeckers weigh between 225 to 400 g (7.9 to 14.1 oz). The average mass of both male and female Pileated Woodpeckers combined is 277 g (9.8 oz).
Unlike the size of the male and female woodpeckers, in terms of weight, both genders weigh differently.
While the male Pileated Woodpeckers on average weigh 300 g (11 oz) and the female ones weigh 256 g (9.0 oz).
| Weight in Grams | Weight in Pounds | |
| Pileated Woodpecker Female | 256 g | 9.0 oz |
| Pileated Woodpecker Male | 300 g | 11 oz |
Here, you can see that the male woodpeckers have greater body mass than the female ones.
Pileated Woodpecker Wingspan
Birds are species that are highly dependent on their wings as that is what makes them fly.
So, if we are talking about the anatomy and other details of the Pileated Woodpecker, it is important we talk about their wingspan.
The wingspan of a bird is the distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of another wing. The Pileated Woodpeckers have a wingspan between 66 to 75 cm (26 to 30 in).
| Wingspan in Centimeter | Wingspan in Inches | Wingspan in Feet | |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 66 to 75 cm | 26 to 30 in | 2.1 to 2.4 ft |
Pileated Woodpecker Egg Size
The Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest breed. The bill is long and chisel-like, roughly the length of the head. The bird seems crowlike in flight due to its large wings.
The females usually lay around 3-5 eggs every year, with an average of 4 eggs. Additionally, the incubation period lasts for about 15 to 18 days and the nesting period is even more with 24 to 31 days.
The interesting part is that the egg size in terms of length is about 1.2-1.4 in (3-3.5 cm), while the width is 0.9-1.0 in (2.4-2.6 cm).
| Pileated Woodpecker Egg Size | Centimeter | Inch |
| Length | 3-3.5 cm | 1.2-1.4 in |
| Width | 2.4-2.6 cm | 0.9-1.0 in |
Pileated Woodpecker Size Male Vs Female
You would be fascinated to know that unlike other birds such as Eagles and Vultures, the size in terms of length of male and female Pileated Woodpeckers is the same.
Both the male and female Pileated Woodpeckers have a length or height of 15.8 to 19.3 inches long (40-49 cm).
And if we do the comparison based on weight, then the male Pileated Woodpecker wins. That is the Male Pileated Woodpeckers are heavier than their female counterparts.
The male has a body mass of 300 g (11 oz) and the female weighs 256 g (9.0 oz). There is approximately a difference of 44 grams, which is very significant.
Pileated Woodpecker Size Comparison To Human
As we know that humans are the most developed and one of the top predators in the food chain, it is essential that we compare the Pileated Woodpecker with a different species.
This only helps in looking at the differences between the two species but also helps in understanding the bird itself from a different perspective.
As we know by now that adult Pileated Woodpeckers are 40 to 49 cm (16 to 19 in) long, have a wingspan between 66 to 75 cm (26 to 30 in) across the wings, and have a body mass from 225 to 400 g (7.9 to 14.1 oz).
On the other hand, humans have an average length of 5.5-5.9 ft. And while we don’t have wings we cannot really measure the wingspan, but the arm span of humans is around 5.5-5.9 ft. Lastly, an average human weighs between 60 kg (130 lb) and 80 kg (180 lb).
If we compare the two, humans are much larger in terms of length, have a greater mass, and have a larger arm span.
Pileated Vs Other Woodepecker Size
There are several other woodpeckers in nature, which are much larger or smaller and heavier and lighter.
The anatomy and the appearance of birds vary from one type to type. While it is good to look at differences within different species, looking at differences and similarities within a single species is also helpful.
In terms of length, weight, and wingspan, the ivory-billed woodpecker weighs between 0.99 and 1.25 pounds and is 18 to 21 inches long.
The pileated woodpecker, which weighs between 0.55 and 0.77 pounds and is between 16 and 19 inches in length, is lighter in weight but larger in size.
Additionally, the Pileated Woodpeckers have a smaller wingspan than the ivory Billed Woodpeckers with a difference of 3 inches.
Overall, the Ivory Billed Woodpecker has more advantages during flight as it is longer and also has a larger wingspan.
| Woodpecker | Weight | Height | Wingspan |
| Pileated Woodpecker | 225 to 400 g (7.9 to 14.1 oz) | 40-49 (1.3-1.6 ft) | 66 to 75 cm (2.1-2.4 ft) |
| Ivory-Billed Woodpecker | 15.9-20.1 oz (450-570 g) | 18.1-20.1 in (46-51 cm) | 29.9-31.5 in (76-80 cm) |
| Red Headed Woodpecker | 2.0-3.2 oz (56-91 g) | 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm) | 16.5 in (42 cm) |
| Downy Woodpeckers | 0.7-1.0 oz (21-28 g) | 5.5-6.7 in (14-17 cm) | 9.8-11.8 in (25-30 cm) |
| Northern Flicker | 3.9-5.6 oz (110-160 g) | 11.0-12.2 in (28-31 cm) | 16.5-20.1 in (42-51 cm) |
Pileated Woodpecker Vs Hawk Size Comparison
Hawks are another type of bird but are not woodpeckers. In fact, Hawks are the bird types that are higher in the food chain and are predators who prey on other birds such as woodpeckers. This indirectly confirms that the Hawks are stronger than woodpeckers.
While the tiniest hawk has a length of 24–27·5 cm (9.4-10.8 in) and a weight of 61.5–134 g (2-4.7 oz).
On the other hand, a Pileated Woodpecker’s wingspan averages 29 inches, whereas the smallest male goshawk has a wingspan of more than 40 inches.
In comparison to Hawks as well the Pileated Woodpeckers fall behind, with smaller wingspan and smaller size, while it does have a larger size.
Conclusion
And that was everything you need to know about the Pileated woodpecker size. I hope this article was informative enough and you got something useful.
Thank You For Reading!
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