Favored habitat is woodland, orchards, woodlots, and yards. The cavity takes up to two weeks to build. Starlings may drive flickers out of their newly-dug cavities. The largest American woodpecker next to the nearly extinct and closely related ivorybill. The female is similar to the male but does not have red cheek patches and has less red in the crest.
Flight is strong, with irregular wing flapping accompanied by white flashing of wing undersurfaces.
Foods include ants, beetles, wood-boring larvae and wild fruits. Pileated woodpeckers inhabit mature coniferous and deciduous forests, valley woodlots and remote mountain territory. The entrance hole is usually oval, and the cavity is 10-24 inches deep. These birds are uncommon residents in all seasons. They do not migrate but breed all over the eastern U.S. and Canada.