The pileated woodpecker is an impressive bird. It's the size of a crow, up to 19 inches long, with a powerful bill the length of its head. They usually hammer at rotten wood to get the insects inside, but their beaks can also be used as a weapon. They will use their bills to defend their territory from intruders, although the two in this video are mostly dancing around like two guys who don't want to get punched in the face in front of their girlfriend.
Unfortunately, many man-made objects can confuse even the most intelligent dinosaur ancestor. Mirrors, windows, and even phones can look like a rival bird. Smaller birds don't do any damage when attacking the imaginary interloper, but a pileated woodpecker is another story.
Over twenty vehicles have had their windshields or side mirrors smashed in the seaside Massachusetts town of Rockport, about forty miles northeast of Boston. The prime suspect is a pileated woodpecker defending its turf in prime mating season. At least one resident appears to be finding the humor in the situation, telling the Today Show, "We seem to have a vandal in our neighborhood. I'm describing him as 18 to 24 inches tall, wearing black and white with a red hat."
Previously:
• Watch woodpecker happily destroy wildlife camera disguised as tree bark
• Woodpecker, perhaps tired of being ignored, shows plastic slide who's boss
• Why a woodpecker's beak doesn't get stuck in a tree like a nail
