I love learning, and I love sharing what I learn, so natural history illustration is a field I enjoy. This is one such illustration. My personal photographs of three Pileated Woodpeckers foraging in my backyard sweetgum trees served as reference. The Pileated - Dryocopus Pileatus - is a fairly common sight in the woods, fields, and even back yards of the American South. The United States’ largest living member of the woodpecker family, only the Ivorybill, now thought to be extinct, (though I stubbornly hold onto hope) was larger. This bird is a male; females have only black facial markings. Its loud, almost comical calls, distinctive swooping flight pattern, and singular beauty ensure that the Pileated is a well-loved favorite of birders and non-birders alike. Commissioned by the South Carolina Wildlife magazine, this painting was featured on their January / February 2022 front cover. Copyright Fishburne Arts, LLC 2021.