The Pileated Woodpecker is a common year-round resident of Canada's deciduous and coniferous forests, with a range that extends from the east coast to the west coast. Populations are well monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count, both of which indicate a marked increase since 1970 across the species' range in Canada. Common and increasing in numbers, there are few major conservation concerns for this species. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The Pileated Woodpecker can forage in a variety of habitats but is usually considered a bird of mature forests where large trees provide nesting and roosting sites, and foraging habitat. With increasing numbers, there are currently few urgent conservation concerns. However, forest management practices which reduce the forest age and tree size may negatively affect future nesting and roosting sites (Bull and Jackson 2011), and forest fragmentation can make the birds more vulnerable to predation as they move between forest fragments (Bull and Jackson 2011).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
