Woodpecker

THE THREE GROUPS of closely related species that constitute the family Picidae are found throughout North America. They are a physically striking group adapted to living on tree trunks.

WOODPECKERS
Typical North American woodpecker species share a distinct set of characteristics and behaviors. They use pecking and drumming
to construct nests and communicate. This is made possible by a very thick skull, adapted to withstand the shock of continually pecking wood. Woodpeckers nest in cavities in dead trees, and are vulnerable to the loss of their specialized habitats due to forest clearing.

Diet and feeding

A male Black Woodpecker attending its chicks The diet of woodpeckers consists mainly of insects and their grubs taken from living and dead trees, and other arthropods, along with fruit, nuts and sap from live trees.



 Ecologically, they help to keep trees healthy by keeping them from suffering mass infestations. 

The family is noted for its ability to acquire wood-boring grubs using their bills for hammering, but overall the family is characterized by its dietary flexibility, with many species being both highly omnivorous and opportunistic.

The insect prey most commonly taken are those found inside tree trunks, whether they are alive or rotten, and in crevices in the bark. These include beetles and their grubs, ants, termites, spiders, and caterpillars.



These may be obtained either by gleaning or, more famously, by excavating wood. Having hammered a hole into the wood, the prey is excavated by a long barbed tongue.

 The ability to excavate allows woodpeckers to obtain tree sap, an important source of food for some species. Most famously, the sapsuckers (genus Sphyrapicus) feed in this fashion, but the technique is not restricted to these and others, such as the Acorn Woodpecker and White-headed Woodpecker, also feed in this way. It was once thought that the technique was restricted to the New World, but Old World species, such as the Arabian Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker, also feed in this way.

SAPSUCKERS
Sapsuckers feed on tree sap as a primary source of nourishment for both adults and their young. 



They have tongues tipped with stiff hairs to allow sap to stick to them. The holes sapsuckers create in order to extract sap from trees attract insects, which make up the main protein source in the sapsucker diet. 

Because sapsuckers damage living trees, some orchard growers consider them to be pests.

FLICKERS
Flickers are relatively large members of the family Picidae and spend more time feeding on the ground than other woodpeckers,
consuming ants and other insects. 

They often forage in open areas around human habitation. Flickers are notable for their colorful underwing feathers and their distinctive white rumps.





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