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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Woodpecker

There are around 200 species of woodpecker inhabiting the forests and woodlands worldwide. Woodpeckers are found on every continent with the exception of the polar regions, Australia and Madagascar.

The smallest species of woodpecker is the Bar-breasted Piculet that only grows to 8cm in height. The Gray Slaty woodpecker from south east Asia is the largest living woodpecker in the world with some of these woodpecker individuals growing to nearly 60  cm tall.

The woodpecker has a distinctive long beak, which the woodpecker uses to make holes in trees. The woodpecker does this in order to dig out the grubs living under the bark.

The average woodpecker is able to peck up to 20 pecks per second! The woodpecker is only able to peck so much and move it's head so quickly without getting a headache due to the air pockets that help to cushion the woodpecker's brain.

Woodpeckers are omnivorous birds and feed on a mixture of plants and animals (mainly insects). The woodpecker eats seeds, berries, fruits, nuts and bugs but the exact species of the woodpecker's food depends upon the area which the woodpecker inhabits.

Due to their generally small size, woodpeckers have numerous predators in their natural environment that not only prey upon the woodpecker itself but also the woodpecker's eggs. The main predators of the woodpecker include wild cats, foxes, rats. snakes and large birds although many other species of animal will prey on the woodpecker too.

Most species of woodpecker inhabit forest and woodland areas although oddly enough, there are a few species of woodpecker that live in areas such as deserts and on hillsides, where there are no trees at all. These few woodpecker species still behave in a similar way and nest in holes in rocks and in plants such as cacti.

Many of the 200 species of woodpecker on Earth, are today considered to be threatened or endangered animals. This is mainly due to the deforestation that is occurring on mass across the world, meaning that woodpeckers are losing their homes.

Woodpeckers often have quite brightly coloured feathers although the exact colours of the woodpecker's feather depend on the woodpecker species. The brightly coloured feathers of the woodpecker which are often greens, browns, whites, reds and greys, help the woodpecker to camouflage more effectively into the surrounding forest.

Woodpeckers make their nests in trees and excavate the hole themselves. Woodpeckers do not usually line the nest as the wood chippings that are there from when the woodpecker made the hole, act as a soft lining. The female woodpecker lays between 3 and 5 eggs that hatch after an incubation period of just a couple of weeks. The woodpecker chicks usually leave the nest when they are about a month old. Both the female woodpecker and the male woodpecker actively feed and raise the young, incubate the eggs and make the hole for the nest. 

Woodpecker Facts
Kingdom:    Animalia
Phylum:    Chordata
Class:    Aves
Order:    Piciformes
Family:    Picidae
Scientific Name:    Picidae
Type:    Bird
Diet:    Omnivore
Size:    8-58cm (3-23in)
Wing Span:    12-61cm (4.7-24in)
Weight:    7-600g (0.2-21oz)
Top Speed:    24km/h (15mph)
Life Span:    6-11 years
Lifestyle:    Solitary
Conservation Status:    Least Concern
Colour:    Black, White, Grey, Tan, Brown, Red, Green
Skin Type:    Feathers
Favourite Food:    Seeds
Habitat:    Dense forest and woodland
Average Clutch Size:    4
Main Prey:    Seeds, Fruit, Insects
Predators:    Rat, Snakes, Wild cats
Special Features:    Long, hard beak and striking coloured feathers

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Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Scientific Name: Melanerpes carolinus

The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a member of the Picidae family, and is the largest common woodpecker of the eastern United States. It is found primarily in northeastern US and southern Canada, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas. Its common habitat is wooded areas, including suburban neighborhoods and parks. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are very tolerant of humans, and are regular visitors to backyard garden feeders (especially during the winter), favoring sunflower seed, suet, and fruit. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers climb and "hitch" along branches and trunks of trees, picking at the bark.
Red-Bellied Woodpeckers have a very thick skull and strong neck that protects them from brain damage when they "drum" to attract mates, excavate nest cavities and forage for food. They are equipped with a unique tongue that can extend 2 inches beyond its beak, and is barbed and sticky to catch insects inside deep crevices, where they gather and store food.

Identification Facts

Head to Tail Length: about 9" - 10.5"
Distinctive Features: The Red-Bellied Woodpecker can easily be identified by its red crown and black-and-white striping on its back. Its name is derived from a subtle red patch on it's abdomen that is rarely seen. Adult Red-Bellied Woodpeckers' abdomen, chest and face are mainly grayish white.
Male & Female Characteristics: Males have a red crown running from their bill to their neck, where females have a red patch on the nape and another above the bill. Males have a bigger tongue than females.

Songs & Calls

Red-bellied woodpeckers are highly vocal and noisy birds. Their calls sound like churr-churr-churr or with an alternating brr sound. Both sexes are vocal, but males call and drum more often than females. Male woodpeckers drum their beaks to attract females in the spring, sometimes pounding on metal siding and even cars to create a resonating sound.

Nesting Behavior

Distribution: The red-bellied woodpecker can be found in most of the eastern United States, except for northernmost New England.
Nest Type: Cavity

Breeding Season: The breeding season lasts from late January to late June
Migration: During severe winters, Red-bellied Woodpeckers have been observed migrating south from northern areas to escape extreme weather.
Nest Facts: Red-bellied Woodpeckers are cavity nesters. The male carves and excavates a new cavity in a dead tree or sometimes a live tree in 7-10 days. Three to six eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The male incubates at night, the female during the day. Chicks hatch in about 12 days, and fledge in 22-27 days. Both parents care for the young.
In some areas, many Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting cavities are taken over by starlings. Red-bellied woodpeckers will occasionally use bird houses.
Recommended Bird House: Audubon Woodpecker Bird House

Diet

Red-bellied woodpeckers eat mostly nuts and fruits, with seeds being their primary food source during the winter. They also eat berries, corn, acorns, beechnuts, tree sap, ants, grasshoppers, beetles, lizards, frogs, and some bird eggs and nestlings.
Commercially available food options include sunflower seed kernals, fruit and nut blends and suet.
Recommended Feeders: Clinger Feeder, Fruit Feeder, Suet Feeder and suet log feeders

Similar species

The Red-headed Woodpecker is a rather close relative but looks entirely different. The Gila Woodpecker has a darker brown head and abdomen, and lacks the red neck and spot above bill. The Golden-Fronted Woodpecker is also similar in coloration to the Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
Originally published at New England Birdhouse blog.

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