I was sitting on the couch with a sick kiddo sleeping next to me when this guy caught me eye out the back window. Grabbed my camera and snapped what pics i could through a dirty window. Very cool looking bird. Click for high res.

The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.