Date: 10/24/25 2:11 pm From: 'Tucker Lutter' via IA-BIRD <ia-bird...> Subject: [ia-bird] Pileated Woodpecker in Sioux County
Hello Birders, A Pileated Woodpecker was seen by Mark Tiemersma at Oak Grove County Park in Sioux County on October 13. The bird was seen below the small pond on the west end of the park. Mark obtained a decent audio recording which is spot on for this species and he gave a good description. As far as I can tell this is the first record for Sioux County, although there may be a sighting I am unaware of. The closest populations right now are are in Plymouth County at Camp Joy Hollow (Broken Kettle Grasslands) and in Lincoln County, SD at Newton Hills State Park (just across the Big Sioux River from Sioux County). I expect more sightings to occur as this species continues its range expansion.
In the early 2000s, Pileated Woodpeckers were quite rare in northwest Iowa with an isolated population at Wanata Park in Clay County and with birds only coming up the Missouri River as far as the DeSoto Bend NWR area. Since then, they have pushed northward and were first seen in Woodbury County in the mid 2000s before pushing even further north and west into northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota along the rivers.
Good Birding,
Tucker LutterHawarden, IA
