Expert: Roger Lederer - 11/24/2007

Question
QUESTION: I was looking out my back door this morning and saw a woodpecker that looked as big as a crow.  Its head was all read and the body was all black.  Of all the time I spend in the woods I have never seen a woodpecker that big or that color.  I tried searching all web sites with no luck.
I was looking at it with my binoculars so I know what I saw.  And I know it was a woodpecker as the pecking noise is why I noticed it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

ANSWER: There is only one woodpecker that big and that is the Pileated Woodpecker. But it does not have a totally red head - there is white on the head, face, and shoulders as well. You don't tell me where you live, but from what you do tell me, I'm surmising it's the Pileated.

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QUESTION: I live in northwest New Jersey.  Believe it or not but the head was all red and body was black.  I was using my binoculars.  Is it possible for the bird to be a cross-breed?

Jeff

Answer
There are no woodpeckers that fit your description exactly. If it was as big as a crow, it was undoubtedly a Pileated Woodpecker. The only woodpecker with a totally red head is the Red-headed Woodpecker but it is not that large and the body has a lot of white on it. I very seriously doubt that this is any kind of hybrid.