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The neighborhood herd, January 14, 2009. Brookeville, MD.

This picture was taken at a site where it is speculated that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus principalis) might still survive. There were plenty of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) in the area, but the holes shown in this picture were markedly different from the other large woodpecker feeding signs I saw there, and different from any woodpecker feeding signs I can recall seeing anywhere.

The deeper holes were of a size that I might have been able to fit the tip of my smallest finger into them, but no bigger than that.

If you think you have seen woodpecker feeding sign like these, please let me know, along with a statement of where you saw it. If you can give me a link to a picture of similar feeding sign, so much the better.

I don't mean for this to be limited to North America; while my direct concern is whether or not a Pileated Woodpecker could have made these holes, it would be useful toward that end to know that Black Woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius) in Europe make the same sort of holes, or even if more distantly related woodpeckers in Asia or Africa do.

Thanks.

Newton, AL.

Conecuh National Forest, AL.

Choctawhatchee River, AL.