Woodpecker

Animals Unique | 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 Grows only to 8cm in height. The Gray Slaty woodpecker from south east Asia is the largest woodpecker in the world living with some of these individuals woodpecker growing to nearly 60 cm tall.

The woodpecker has a distinctive long beak, the which the woodpecker uses to the 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 so much Able to peck and move it's head so without getting a headache Quickly due to the air pockets help to cushion That 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 of ​​the which the woodpecker inhabits.

Generally due to Their small size, Numerous woodpeckers have natural predators in their environment not only prey upon That 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. Mainly this is due to the deforestation That is occurring on mass across the world, meaning That Their woodpeckers are losing homes.

 

Often woodpeckers have quite brightly colored feathers although the exact colors of the woodpecker's feather depend on the woodpecker species. The brightly colored feathers of the woodpecker Often the which are greens, browns, whites, reds and grays, help the woodpecker to camouflage more into the surrounding forest Effectively.

 

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 hatch after an incubation That period of just a couple of weeks. The woodpecker chicks usually leave the nest when They are about a month old. Both the female and the male woodpecker woodpecker actively feed and raise the young, incubate the eggs and the 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 colored feathers