I was sitting in my cousin's back yard in Pittsburgh when I saw this huge bird that I have never seen before. Turns out it is a Pileated Woodpecker. With a 29 inch wing span (as large as a crow), a red crest and haunting gold eyes I was startled when it appeared. The fact that it walked up to me only 4 feet away made me feel I was reliving a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds! Even given my initial nervousness at seeing this bird there is no denying that it is a beautiful creature!
