By Kara Snow
NRRI’s Avian Ecology Lab is reaching out to birders, naturalists, and amateur ornithologists to help locate nesting cavities of Pileated Woodpeckers in Minnesota.
The Pileated Woodpecker is a keystone species in our forests. The cavities they create provide critical habitat for many other wildlife species. By documenting where they are nesting, we can better understand their habitat use and help inform conservation and forest management.
You can help us by reporting potential nest cavities!
What to report:
We are looking for active nests. These can be reported using this Google Form:
PIWO Nest Cavity Documentation
(Please note this requires a Google account.)
What details to include:
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Location (GPS coordinates or a pinned map location)
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Photos of the cavity and surrounding habitat, if possible
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Notes on activity (e.g., feeding behavior, presence of young, signs of predation, or when the nest becomes inactive)
Where to look:
Pileated Woodpeckers typically nest in large trees that are dead or have signs of decay. Nest cavities are large, round or slightly oval openings, unlike the rectangular holes they create while foraging.
Please observe ethically:
Always keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing nesting birds.
Lab members may follow up with additional questions. In some cases, we may also coordinate visits to confirmed nest sites in the fall, after nesting is complete.
If you have questions or would like to share this with your community, feel free to reach out.
Thank you for helping us better understand and conserve this important species.