As a family watches from a window, a large woodpecker easily splinters a cedar deck.

Massive Pileated Woodpeckers can easily splinter logs and trees with the help of their strong beaks. They are the biggest woodpeckers in North America, and they make for lovely sights at backyard feeders or in the trees near any house. They are breathtaking to see, especially with their lovely red crest. This woodpecker and his companion have frequented this yard for many years. They make their home in a nearby tree, but they regularly visit to eat the suet that the family has left out. The male usually swoops in to land on one of the feeders and makes a loud, cackling cry to signal his approach.

This woodpecker drank today at the pond, then climbed up on the cedar.