The loud tapping on a palm, pine or utility pole may be easier to identify once you know two of Florida’s most familiar woodpeckers.

The pileated woodpecker is the giant of the group.

It is a large, mostly black bird about the size of a crow, with bold black-and-white striping on the neck and a large red crest.

Males also have a red mustache-like stripe along the side of the bill.

Because of its size, crest and dramatic call, a pileated woodpecker is hard to miss once you know what to look for.

The red-bellied woodpecker is smaller and much more subtle.

It has black-and-white bars across the back, gray cheeks and red on the head.

Despite the name, the reddish belly patch is often difficult to see.

Males have red extending from the back of the neck toward the bill, while females show red mainly toward the back of the head.

Both species may show up in neighborhoods if mature trees, snags or other suitable nesting sites are available.

Woodpeckers do more than make noise.

They excavate cavities that can later provide shelter for other birds and wildlife.

A dead standing tree can look messy to people but be valuable habitat if it can safely remain.

If a woodpecker starts drumming on part of a house, it does not necessarily mean the bird is eating the structure.

Drumming can be communication, while actual excavation or repeated probing may indicate insects or interest in a nesting cavity.

The practical takeaway: crow-sized with a huge red crest means pileated; medium-sized with zebra-like back bars and red on the head usually means red-bellied woodpecker.