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| woodpecker | Characteristics Species Facts |
Woodpeckers are one of about 180 species of birds that make up the subfamily Picinae (true woodpeckers) of the family Picidae (order Piciformes), known for probing for insects in the bark of trees and digging nests in deadwood. Woodpeckers are found almost everywhere in the world, with the exception of the Australian and New Guinea region, but are most abundant in South America and Southeast Asia. Most woodpeckers are resident, but some temperate species, such as the North American yellow-bellied woodpecker (Sphyrapicus varius) and the flicker (genus Colaptes), are migrator
The woodpecker pecks at insects.
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Most woodpeckers spend their entire lives in trees, climbing the trunks in search of insects; only the few ground-feeding forms are able to sit on horizontal branches, as do sedges. Most woodpeckers feed on insects, but some (particularly Melanerps species) feed on fruit and berries, and woodpeckers regularly feed on the sap of some trees at certain seasons. In spring, the loud calls of woodpeckers, often enhanced by drumming on hollow wood or sometimes metal, are the sounds of males dominating territories; in other seasons, woodpeckers are generally silent. Most woodpeckers are not very social, tending to isolate themselves or travel in pairs.
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The oak woodpecker ( M. formicivorus ) is about 20 cm (8 in) long and is found in deciduous forests from western North America to Colombia. It depends on acorns for winter food, storing the supply in holes it has made in the bark of trees. The red-headed woodpecker ( M. erythrocephalus ) is about the same size (19-23 cm [7.5-9 in]) as the acorn woodpecker , but is rare in open forests, farmlands, and temperate North American orchards east of the Rocky Mountains.
oak woodpecker
oak woodpecker
Male oak woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus).
Well-known species of Dendrocopos include the Downy Woodpecker ( D. pubescens ), which is only about 15 cm (6 in.) long and inhabits temperate forests and gardens in North America; the Spotted Woodpecker (D. pubescens ) and Hairy Woodpecker (D. villosus ) are 20-25 cm (8-9.8 in.) long and are found in temperate regions of North America.
Dryocopus comprises two known species: the black woodpecker (D.) grows to about 40-47 cm (15.5-18.25 in.) and inhabits mature forests throughout most of temperate North America.
pileated woodpecker
Cooked woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) provide food for their young.
Steve Byland / Fotolia
Two species of Three-toed Woodpeckers make up the genus Picoides: the Northern Three-toed Woodpecker (P.), which is found throughout the forest of central Canada.
The scarlet woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes lucidus) is common in open forests from India to the Philippine Islands. The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is distributed throughout the forested regions of temperate Eurasia and southern to northern Africa.
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus Principis ), known for its size (45 cm [18 in] long) and beauty, has historically been found in Cuba and the southern United States. Although endangered, it is considered extinct. In 2005, researchers reported that the bird had been seen in eastern Arkansas. One subspecies, the Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker (C. Principis bairdii), is thought to be extinct, and a related species, the Mexican Imperial Woodpecker (C.
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