Posted by Jim Duquesnel on July 01, 2002 at 12:03:15:
Better late than never, I suppose.
This a note for those who keep track of such things. On April 12, I was accompanying a group of park volunteers as they explored an oceanside mangrove forest on Key Largo, near mile marker 105. I spotted a pileated woodpecker as it flew through the understory of some tall (for the Keys) red mangroves. It landed in a group of dead reds apparently killed by one of the tornadoes associated with Tropical Storm Mitch.
Prior to this sighting, I last saw a pileated on Key Largo in the mid-1980s. Given the amount of time I spend prowling the hammocks and mangrove forests of Key Largo, if pileateds were around very often, I would probably hear them from time to time. Does anyone know if they are migratory? I'd be surprised if they were, but really wonder if this bird is a resident. It did call, but I heard no mate's response.