Plumages, Molts, and Structure

Pileated Woodpeckers have 10 functional primaries (the outermost, p10, reduced in length), 12 secondaries (including 3 tertials), and 12 rectrices. Geographic variation in appearance slight to moderate. The following molt and plumage descriptions pertain to the nominate subspecies of southeastern North America; see Systematics: Geographic Variation for appearance variation in up to three other recognized subspecies in Florida and western North America. No geographic or sex-specific variation in molt strategies reported.

Following based primarily on detailed plumage descriptions of Ridgway (1914), Bent (1939), Roberts (1955), Oberholser (1974), and Short (1982); see Pyle and Howell (1995) and Pyle (1997) for age-related criteria. Sexes differ in all plumages (including Juvenile). Definitive Plumage essentially assumed at Juvenile Plumage.

Natal Down

Present Apr-Jun. Born naked with pinkish skin; no down develops in woodpeckers (Short 1982).

Juvenile (First Basic) Plumage

Present Jun-Aug. Resembles Definitive Basic Plumage but feathers more loosely webbed (JAJ), less “glossy” and with vanes with fewer barbs, hence are less “rigid and smooth” in appearance. Sex-specific differences in head color of Juvenile similar to those of Definitive Basic Plumage and can be used to sex nestlings of 9-10 d age when crown feathers visible through skin (Hoyt 1953a Hoyt, S. F. (1953a). Forehead color of the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Auk 70:209-210. Close ); red malar stripe of male evident by day 14. Innermost primaries (p1 and p2), probably abbreviated (~5-20 mm in length) as in other woodpeckers (Chapin 1921 Chapin, J. P. (1921). The abbreviated inner primaries of nestling woodpeckers. Auk 38(4):531–552. Close , Sibley 1957) but detailed description and length of these feathers in Pileated Woodpecker needed; they are replaced before chick fledges from nest cavity. Juvenile outer primary (p10) longer, broader, and more rounded at the tip than that of older birds (see Jackson 1979a Jackson, J. A. (1979a). Age characteristics of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Bird-Banding 50:23-29. Close , Pyle 1997). Since this is the last primary replaced during the Preformative Molt it is useful in ageing hatch-year birds through late summer.

Formative Plumage

"First Basic" or "Basic I" plumage of Pyle (1997a) and previous authors. Present Sep-Aug. Male and Female similar to those in Definitive Basic Plumage except some juvenile secondary coverts including some to all greater coverts retained, browner, contrasting with replaced formative coverts (usually located proximally); secondaries relatively worn and brownish by May-Aug, occasionally contrasting with 1-3 newer, replaced formative tertials; primary coverts brownish by May-Aug, contrasting with darker replaced secondary coverts and primaries (Pyle and Howell 1995, Pyle 1997). These older feathers wear more than the newer primaries and can be used to age birds into their second year (JAJ).

Second Basic Plumage

Present Sep-Aug. Male and Female similar to those in Definitive Basic Plumage except some juvenile primary coverts and (often) secondaries retained, brown, and very abraded compared to replaced feathers. Retained primary coverts include 3-7 consecutive medial feathers (among those corresponding to p3-p9) brown, very abraded, contrasting with 1-5 consecutive replaced distal feathers (among those corresponding to p6-p10), forming paler panel or badge on upperwing above white primary stripe. Juvenile secondaries when present occur in block of 1-4 feathers, usually among s3-s8. See Pyle and Howell (1995) and Pyle (1997) for details.

Definitive Basic Plumage

Present Sep-Aug. Based on comparison with the color keys provided by Smithe (Smithe 1975 Smithe, F. B. (1975). Naturalist's Color Guide. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA. Close ), body plumage and dark flight feathers of Definitive Basic Plumage in both sexes vary from dusky brown (19), to fuscous (21) above and to Vandyke brown (221) on the breast and belly; overall these feathers appear black, the darkest feathers being the rectrices. Older specimens and some collected just prior to the fall molt appear a bit browner or redder with foxing or bleaching. Upperwing same color except for white bases to primaries and secondaries variably exposed, appearing as an irregular U-shaped white band in wing dependent on extent of overlying dusky brown coverts. Tufts of feathers covering nostrils dark medially and lighter laterally, continuing with white stripe extending from base of bill through cheek and down sides of neck, bordered above by broad dark eyeline and narrow white supercilium. Underwing coverts and bases to primaries and secondaries from below white, resulting in white patch covering slightly more than half of the extended underwing wing area; the distal 40% of each primary and secondary and a thin line along the leading edge of the wing dusky brown. Flank fathers often tipped white when fresh, resulting in white barring, obvious in fresh plumage (Sep-Dec), but disappearing thereafter as feathers wear (JAJ). Sexes differ in head plumage only. Male with crest, forehead, and malar stripe closest to geranium (12), but vary to scarlet (14) of Smithe (Smithe 1975 Smithe, F. B. (1975). Naturalist's Color Guide. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA. Close ). Female with malar stripe dark brown and forehead to mid-crown generally appearing grayish or brownish but possibly tending toward yellow-brown in older birds, contrasting with scarlet red hind crown and crest (Hoyt 1953a Hoyt, S. F. (1953a). Forehead color of the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Auk 70:209-210. Close ).

Third and later Basic Plumages separated from Second Basic Plumage by having uniformly basic secondaries and primary coverts or mixed generations of basic feathers in these tracts, the older feathers not contrasting as severely with replaced feathers as in Second Basic Plumage, and the feathers usually not occurring in blocks (Pyle and Howell 1995, Pyle 1997). Occasionally 1-2 juvenile primary coverts may be present in Third Basic Plumage (most likely among those corresponding to p5-p7) along with two generations of basic coverts but confirmation and reliability of this for age determination needed.

Unusual Plumage

A melanistic Pileated Woodpecker female (U.S. Natl. Mus. no. 268901) was reported by Short (Short 1965a Short, L. L. (1965a). A melanistic Pileated Woodpecker specimen from Georgia. Wilson Bulletin 77:404-405. Close ). Others with aberrant plumages have been reported.

Bill And Gape

Upper mandible black to dark grayish, shading to yellow or horn-colored on lower mandible. Juveniles with more yellow in gape.

Iris

Brown in Juveniles and first-year females; brownish yellow in first-year males (B.L. Noel pers. comm.); yellow to golden in adult males and some adult females. Not known when iris in female changes to yellow,.

Legs And Feet

Legs pale grayish-pink at hatching; deep blue-gray by day 12; black in adult. One Oregon adult had yellow legs and feet and tumors on leg (ELB).

General

Burt (Burt 1929 Burt, W. H. (1929). Pterylography of certain North American woodpeckers. University of California Publications in Zoology 30:427-442. Close ) provides extensive detail of Pileated Woodpecker pterylography. Molt and plumage terminology follows Humphrey and Parkes (1959) as modified by Howell et al. (2003, 2004). Pileated Woodpecker exhibits Complex Basic Strategy (cf. Howell et al. 2003, Howell 2010), including complete prebasic molts and an incomplete preformative molt but no prealternate molts (Bent 1939, Hoyt Hoyt 1948a Hoyt, J. S. Y. (1948a). Further studies of the Pileated Woodpecker. Phd Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close , Oberholser 1974, Pyle and Howell 1995, Pyle 1997; Fig. 5); Hoyt detailed molts of a captive bird for 6.5 yr. Definitive molt cycle commences with Second Prebasic Molt.

Prejuvenile (First Prebasic) Molt

Complete, May-Jul, in the nest. See Hoyt Hoyt 1940 Hoyt, J. S. Y. (1940). A study of the Pileated Woodpecker Ceophloeus pileatus (Linnaeus). Master's Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close , Hoyt 1944 Hoyt, J. S. Y. (1944). Preliminary notes on the development of nestling Pileated Woodpeckers. Auk 61:376-384. Close for detailed study of nestling development in New York, and Harris 1982e Harris, R. D. (1982e). The nesting ecology of the Pileated Woodpecker in California. Master's Thesis, Univ. of California, Berkeley. Close for study of development in California. Nestlings have thickened papillae, when most feather tracts are apparent as dark streaks under skin by day 3. Remiges and rectrices erupt by day 4-5; head feathers erupt by day 6; most body feathers erupt by day 7; feathers emerge from sheaths all over body by day 10, those of capital region erupt on day 11. Sheaths slough off all wing coverts by day 26 and off some of capitals and spinals by day 29. Detailed by Hoyt (Hoyt 1940 Hoyt, J. S. Y. (1940). A study of the Pileated Woodpecker Ceophloeus pileatus (Linnaeus). Master's Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close ) and Harris (Harris 1982e Harris, R. D. (1982e). The nesting ecology of the Pileated Woodpecker in California. Master's Thesis, Univ. of California, Berkeley. Close ).

Preformative Molt

"First prebasic" or "Prebasic I" molt of Pyle (1997a) and previous authors. Incomplete, Jun-Oct, on or near breeding grounds. Begins in nest, before fledging, with replacement of innermost two primaries (p1-p2, which are likely rudimentary; see Juvenile Plumage) and perhaps some other feathers (study needed); molt post-fledging usually completed by mid-Oct. Includes most or all body plumage, primaries, and rectrices, a few to some proximal secondary coverts, and occasionally 1-3 tertials (among s8-s10), but no primary coverts or distal secondaries; an unusual Preformative Molt pattern unique to woodpeckers (Pyle and Howell 1995). Primaries replaced distally (p1 to p10). Rectrix molt begins about 20 d post-fledging with loss of r2 (second from inside) and proceeds outward to r6, with r1 replaced last; this sequence enables two central rectrices (r1s), critical for stability on vertical tree trunks, to be replaced when other rectrices fresh and stronger. All body plumage molted gradually throughout late summer and early fall.

Second Prebasic Molt

Incomplete, Apr-Nov, occurring on or near breeding territory (if breeding by age 1). Similar in extent to Definitive Prebasic Molt but replacement of juvenile secondaries and primary coverts occur in fixed sequence. Outer 1-5 primary coverts replaced distally; inner coverts (with possible exception of innermost two) retained, leaving block of 4-8 consecutive juvenile coverts in center of tract. Juvenile secondaries replaced distally from s1 and proximally from tertials (with possible center at s12, the second feather out); when replacement incomplete (about 40% of the time) 1-5 juvenile secondaries retained consecutively, usually among s3-s8. One or more greater secondary coverts may also occasionally be retained (study needed). Replacement of all other tracts complete; sequence of primary and rectrix replacement as in Preformative Molt. See Pyle and Howell (1995) for details.

Definitive Prebasic Molt

Incomplete to complete, Jul-Nov, on or near breeding grounds, although study needed on precise relationship between breeding territories and molting grounds. All tracts completely replaced except primary coverts and/or secondaries in some to most birds; one or more greater secondary coverts may also occasionally be retained. Sequence of primary covert and secondary replacement not known; may continue where previous Prebasic Molt ended or occur in a separate sequence. Retained basic coverts and secondaries occur throughout these tracts and may or may not occur in consecutive pairs or blocks as are retained juvenile feathers of Second Basic Plumage. One to 4 retained basic secondaries occurs among s1-s8 in about 38% of birds. One or two juvenile primary coverts in middle of tract may occasionally be retained during Third Prebasic Molt resulting in three feather generations; study needed on this and some other aspects of this molt in woodpeckers (see Pyle and Howell 1995). Sequence in other tracts as described above; rectrix molt usually completed by early Oct in Mississippi (JAJ).

To illustrate the nature of geographic variation in this species, some morphometric data for common linear measurements and weight are summarized in Appendix 2. Additional data have been presented by Ridgway (Ridgway 1914b Ridgway, R. (1914). The birds of North and Middle America. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 50, part VI. Close ).