- Where does the woodpecker live?
Although, of course, modern people often have a slightly different association with the amazing forest birds woodpeckers - the annoying and boring nature of some human characters is often compared with our today's feathered hero. In fact, woodpeckers are not annoying birds at all, but very useful ones. It’s not for nothing that our observant ancestors called the woodpecker “forest doctor.” In fairy tales, he often appears as a kind, persistent and hardworking character, however, this is what he is in nature, a real one. "friend of trees" After all, tirelessly pecking them with his beak, he at the same time cleans the trees from various insects harmful to them: termites, aphids, etc.
Woodpecker: description, structure, characteristics. What does a woodpecker look like?
The woodpecker family belongs to a large group of birds known for their ability to chisel trees with their beaks. Close relatives of woodpeckers are also toucans, barnacles and honeyguides.
The average body length of a woodpecker is 25 cm, the average weight of a woodpecker is 100 g, although, of course, there are exceptions, for example, there are larger species of woodpeckers, such as the American royal woodpecker, which is almost 60 cm long and weighs 600 g. And the most a small gold-loving woodpecker, its size is almost similar to
hummingbird, its length is only 8 cm and its weight is 7 grams.
The woodpecker's body seems somewhat elongated, thanks to the medium-length tail and head, which continues the length of the body. The woodpecker's beak is chisel-shaped, and it is also sharp and durable. The nostrils of woodpeckers are protected by special fibers that prevent wood shavings from getting inside during chiselling. Just like the skull of woodpeckers has a special porous structure that protects the bird’s brain from concussion.
The woodpecker's wings are of medium length and also sharp; this structure of their wings helps these forest birds maneuver between trees with ease. The woodpecker's wingspan is 45-49 cm.
Woodpecker in flight.
The woodpecker's paws are short and four-toed (with the exception of the three-toed woodpecker), two fingers are directed forward and two are directed back; this structure of the woodpecker's paws helps it to confidently stay on the vertical surfaces of trees and move along them.
The woodpecker's plumage is rigid and fits tightly to the body. The color of woodpeckers is very diverse, everything depends on the type of a particular bird; there are woodpeckers with checkerboard black and white colors, variegated, red, and golden.
Common types
Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus)
The photo shows a great sharp-winged woodpecker.
A small bird with a long, straight beak. Body length is from 14 to 16 cm. Body weight ranges from 20 to 30 g. The plumage is motley, black and white above and whitish-gray below. At the bottom of the back there is a light diamond-shaped spot. The forehead and crown are brownish-gray, the back of the head is black. The male has red feathers on the back of his head. Dark “whiskers” begin from the beak. The cheeks and throat are white. The back is dark. The belly is whitish-gray with dark streaks. The iris is red-brown or red, the legs and beak are dark gray. Juveniles are darker and motley. Females do not have red feathers on the back of their heads, but otherwise they do not differ from the male.
The species is distributed in eastern and southeastern Asia.
Brown-fronted Woodpecker (Leiopicus auriceps)
This is what a brown-fronted woodpecker looks like
. A medium-sized woodpecker that lives in the foothills and lower belt of the Himalayas (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal).
The body length reaches 20 cm, weight from 37 to 50 g. The beak is of medium length, chisel-like, with a wide base. The plumage on the back and wings is motley, black and white, the belly is light, the “cap” is colorful. The forehead is yellowish-brown in both males and females. But the male has a lemon-yellow crown and the back of the head is red, while the female has both the crown and the back of the head yellow. The cheeks and chin are white with a black mustache. The chest and belly are white with dark streaks.
Yellow-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei)
Photo of a yellow-breasted woodpecker on a tree.
The species' habitat includes countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Medium sized woodpecker. The plumage on the back is black with white transverse stripes. The breast is light brown. Neck with black stripes on each side. Males have a red head with an orange forehead, females have a black head.
Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos atratus)
Photo of a spotted woodpecker
A small bird with a dense build, a resident of Indochina. Body length up to 22 cm, weight from 42 to 52 g. The back and wings are black with a white spotted pattern. The neck is whitish, the breast and belly are yellowish-ochre in color with thin longitudinal black streaks. The undertail is red. The sides of the head are white with a black stripe of “whiskers”. The male has a bright red cap of feathers running from his forehead to the back of his head. The female's is black.
Yellow-capped woodpecker (Dendrocopos mahrattensis)
The species is widespread in Hindustan and Indochina. This is a small bird with a long straight beak. Body length is about 18 cm, weight from 28 to 46 g. The plumage in the forehead and crown is golden yellow. The nape of the male is bright red, while that of the female is brownish-ochre. The “whiskers” are weakly expressed. The cheeks, chin and throat are white with brown spots. The body at the top is black or black-brown with white spots and streaks, the lower back is white. The belly is white with an orange-red spot in the center. Young birds are feathered brown.
Red-bellied or red-necked or red-breasted woodpecker (lat. Dendrocopos hyperythrus)
Body length from 20 to 25 cm, weight from 53 to 74 g. The beak is long. The male's back is black with white transverse stripes, his belly is reddish-chestnut. The female has a brown back. Males have a shiny red cap on their heads, while females have a black cap with white spots. The legs are gray, the iris is red.
The habitat begins in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam. The bird is also found in China, Vietnam and Thailand.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
- Latin name: Leiopicus medius, Dendrocopos medius
- Body length: 22 cm.
- Weight: from 50 to 85 g.
- Order: Woodpeckers
- Family: Woodpeckers
- Genus: Spotted Woodpeckers
- Conservation status : Least Concern
The head is rounded, the beak is short, dark gray. The upperparts are black with white streaks on the wings. The belly and sides are yellowish with dark longitudinal streaks. The iris is red-brown, the paws are gray. The “whiskers” are weakly expressed. There is a bright red cap on the crown. Young birds are dull.
The species nests in temperate and southern latitudes of Europe, as well as in Western Asia. Habitat: broad-leaved, mixed forests, most often dominated by oak.
Photo: Middle Spotted Woodpecker
The Middle Spotted Woodpecker is similar to the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but if you look closely the two birds are noticeably different from each other. The color of the average spotted woodpecker is not as bright as that of the great one. It knocks less, in the summer it spends most of its time in the crown of trees and practically does not fall to the ground.
White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)
Body length is from 26 to 31 cm, wingspan is 44-49 cm, body weight is from 100 to 130 g. The male has a white forehead and sides of the head, a red “cap” with white spots, the back of the head and back are black. The mustache is black. The belly is white, with an ocher coating; sides with dark longitudinal streaks. The undertail is pink. The female has a black cap on her head.
The bird lives in the south of Eurasia.
Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Latin name: Dendrocopos major
- Body length: 22-27 cm.
- Wingspan: 42-47 cm.
- Weight: 60-100 g.
- Order: Woodpeckers
- Family: Woodpeckers
- Genus: Spotted Woodpeckers
- Conservation status : Least Concern
Body length is from 22 to 27 cm, wingspan is 42-47 cm, weight is from 60 to 100 g. The plumage is dominated by black and white tones, the undertail is bright red. The top of the head, back and rump are black. The forehead, cheeks, shoulders and tummy are brownish-white. The tail is black. The iris is brown or red, the beak is black, the legs are dark brown.
The species is found in Africa, Europe and Asia Minor.
Syrian woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus)
The bird's habitat covers Asia, Central and Eastern Europe.
Body length up to 23 cm, weight from 55 to 80 g. The top of the head is black, the forehead, sides of the head and cheeks are white. The male has a bright red stripe on the back of his head; the female does not have it. The "whiskers" are well developed. The throat, neck and belly are off-white. The undertail is red. The iris is red. The beak is dark gray. Paws are gray.
White-winged Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucopterus)
The species is found in Central Asia, Dzungaria and Kashgaria.
Body length from 22 to 24 cm, weight about 70 g. Beak of medium length, straight. There are large white spots on the shoulder blades and wings, the belly and undertail are bright red. The forehead is white.
What does a woodpecker eat and why does a woodpecker knock on wood?
In fact, the woodpecker’s diet and its “trademark” chiselling on trees are related to each other in the most direct way. Yes, this is the simple way woodpeckers get their food. The basis of their diet is various insects and larvae that live in the depths of trees: termites, ants, aphids, bark beetles. Moreover, interestingly, such activity of woodpeckers also benefits trees, because these birds rid them of pests.
Woodpeckers always unerringly choose diseased trees infested with pests as trees for chiselling, which is why they nicknamed our feathered hero the “forest doctor.” How do woodpeckers recognize such trees? The fact is that nature has endowed these birds with very fine hearing, and woodpeckers are able to hear the slightest creaking noise made by the stings of pests inside trees.
But let's return to the food of woodpeckers; in addition to harmful insects, woodpeckers are not averse to eating berries, plant seeds, and nuts obtained from the cones of coniferous trees.
Woodpecker feeding
The main food in the warm season consists of woodworms: insects, their larvae, termites, ants, aphids. It is interesting that the woodpecker obtains food only from diseased and rotten plants, without touching healthy trees.
But simple gathering is not alien to it, so berries and plant seeds occupy a significant place in the diet; the woodpecker preys on snails, small passerine birds, their eggs and chicks.
In winter, the main diet consists of seeds and nuts obtained from the cones of coniferous plants. The woodpecker creates entire forges by placing cones in crevices and breaking them with his beak. In the forest you can find mountains of husks from such work. Sometimes creates storage rooms. In frosty weather, birds can approach cities, feeding on food waste and carrion.
Instead of water in winter, the woodpecker swallows snow, and in spring it likes to extract birch or maple sap by breaking through the bark of trees. Buds and young shoots of plants also become food.
Woodpecker lifestyle
Woodpeckers are sedentary birds, that is, they live mainly in the same territory. They often live alone and only during the nesting period they live in pairs of male + female.
Woodpeckers spend most of their time studying trees for the presence of insects that are tasty for these birds. Flying from tree to tree, the woodpecker first sits at the bottom and then begins to gradually rise upward. Woodpeckers practically do not descend to the ground; in general, they do not feel comfortable on horizontal surfaces, whereas a vertical position on a tree is much more familiar to them; by the way, woodpeckers even sleep in this position at night.
The means of communication among woodpeckers is the drumbeat, beaten out by their beaks; it also serves to mark the boundaries of the territory of a particular woodpecker and to attract a partner during the mating season.
Woodpecker report
Most of the time, the woodpecker crawls through trees, and only flies from one tree to another.
Woodpeckers can spend hours pecking at wood with their beaks and still feel great. Their beak works like a jackhammer, and the structure of their skull is such that they never get a concussion. With its beak, the woodpecker appears to drill into the bark of a tree, reaches the passages made by bark beetles in the wood, and licks off insects and their larvae with its tongue. Woodpeckers' tongues are long (about 10 cm) and sticky, and have several spines at the end. It is completely incomprehensible how such a long tongue fits into the small head of a bird.
In autumn and winter, woodpeckers feed on cone seeds. To do this, they hit the cone with their beak, open it and pull out the seeds. To get enough food, the bird needs to break 100 of these cones per day. In spring, woodpeckers love to drink birch sap. They drill a hole in the birch tree with their beak and lick off the sweet juice with their tongue.
Why does a woodpecker never have a headache?
Thanks to the special structure of the skull, woodpeckers can painlessly make more than 2000 blows on the trunk in an hour! Unlike other birds, these birds have a special tissue between the beak and the rest of the skull that softens blows. That's why woodpeckers don't have headaches.
Why does the pinwheel hiss?
Some species of woodpeckers, such as woodpeckers, have beaks that are not designed for chiselling wood. They feed on ants and their larvae, which they pull out of anthills with their tongues. It is as long and sticky as that of ordinary woodpeckers, but without spines at the end. Wrigglers also imitate a snake in a very funny way. When they notice the danger that threatens them, they begin to turn their heads in different directions, stick out their tongues and make sounds similar to a snake hissing.
What benefits do woodpeckers bring?
The woodpecker is a very useful bird. He somehow senses which trees are sick and only hammers them, leaving healthy ones alone. In addition, every year the woodpecker builds a new nest for itself, for this purpose it hollows out a new hollow in a tree with soft wood, and its old nests are occupied by other birds.
Types of woodpeckers, photos and names
In total, there are more than 200 species of woodpeckers in nature; below we will describe the most interesting of them.
Great Pileated Woodpecker
Despite its name, the great sharp-winged woodpecker is not that big, its length is 14-16 cm, weight 20-30 grams. It is variegated in color; males have several red feathers on their sides. Lives in East and Southeast Asia.
common woodpecker
The great spotted woodpecker is the most common member of the woodpecker family. It lives over a wide geographic range, including almost all of Eurasia, from the forests of England to the forests of Japan. These woodpeckers are also being introduced into our Ukrainian forests. They can be distinguished by their color; the spotted woodpecker has black and white colors, which are combined with a bright red undertail, which gives the bird a mottled appearance. Some woodpeckers of this species also have a red head, a kind of “red cap”.
Syrian woodpecker
Initially, the Syrian woodpecker was distributed exclusively in the Middle East, but in the Middle Ages these birds penetrated into the Balkans and Eastern Europe (including these woodpeckers also live in Ukraine). In its appearance and habits it is very similar to an ordinary woodpecker, it is distinguished only by a number of small differences: a longer beak, on the sides of the belly the Syrian woodpecker has developed streaks. Also, the common spotted woodpecker has two white spots between the eye and shoulder; in the Syrian woodpecker, these two spots are merged into one large one.
White-backed Woodpecker
This is another woodpecker that lives in the forest zone of Eurasia. It is of medium size, its body length is 26-31 cm with a weight of 100-130 g. It also differs from other woodpeckers in having a slightly longer neck and an angular head. The upper part of the back of these woodpeckers is black, the lower part is white. Also, males have a red cap on the brand, while females have a black cap.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
This woodpecker is distinguished by its red belly coloration, hence its name. Also known as the red-necked woodpecker. This species of woodpecker lives in Southeast Asia. It is a very small representative of the woodpecker family, its body length is 200-250 mm, weight 50-70 g.
Black woodpecker (Zhelna)
Also known as the great black woodpecker, one of the largest representatives of woodpeckers, its body length is 42-49 cm, with a weight of 250-450 g. It also lives in the forest zone of Eurasia, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. This woodpecker is very easy to identify by its appearance: a bird with black plumage and a red cap on its head will be a black woodpecker.
Essay on the topic “Something about woodpeckers”
Here he is sitting on a tree trunk, securely clinging to it with his paws with sharp claws. And it also rests on the hard feathers of the tail.
Most often in our forests and parks we will meet the great and spotted woodpecker. Its wings and tail are black with white stripes. The chest is light, and red spots are visible on the head and abdomen.
The woodpecker knocks and drums on the trunk with its strong sharp beak, only pieces of bark fly in different directions. And there, under the bark, hidden forest pests - bark beetles, voracious larvae, insects.
The woodpecker will take them out of the hole with a long, narrow and sticky tongue. Some woodpeckers also have tongues with barbs called hooks. No one will escape!
Like an attentive doctor, the woodpecker will examine and tap each tree in its section of the forest. In a young, healthy forest, you will see woodpeckers less often than in an old forest, where there are many “sick” trees.
But the woodpecker eats not only beetles. In winter, it pecks at pine and spruce cones. But, having picked a cone, the bird will first strengthen it in a crevice of a tree or between branches.
In this “forge” the woodpecker will gut the cone and get the seeds. And under the tree, under the “smithy”, a pile of scales and empty cones will grow. In the spring, woodpeckers punch holes in birch bark and feast on the tasty sap.
The drumming of a woodpecker is also an invitation to visit the female. And a sign to other woodpeckers: the place is occupied!
The woodpecker is not only a “forest doctor”, but also a “builder”. It hollows out deep hollows in tree trunks. The hollow is his home. Both the male and the female work on its creation. Then they take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the emerging chicks.
Woodpeckers prefer to live alone. And they won’t tolerate anyone, including their grown chicks, near them.
Every year the woodpecker has a new nest. And in the old one, other chicks are celebrating a housewarming party. Or squirrels. But there are woodpeckers that dig holes on the slopes of hills and on cliffs - like shore swallows. Some woodpeckers even make their homes in anthills!
Woodpeckers provide benefits by destroying forest pests.
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Woodpecker breeding
The mating season for woodpeckers begins in the spring. During this period, males begin to actively attract females with their trills. When their pairs have already been formed, the birds begin to build a nesting hollow, and work in turns. The place where their chicks are destined to be born is carefully masked by branches from predators.
A female woodpecker has from 3 to 7 eggs, which she incubates for 15 days. Then chicks, small woodpeckers, begin to hatch from them, they are completely helpless: naked, blind and deaf. But already during the first month they become covered with feathers, begin to see clearly and even squeal. Not yet able to fly, they can nevertheless actively run along the trunk. And after a year, woodpeckers become sexually mature adult birds.
Reproduction
Woodpeckers are monogamous birds that begin breeding at the end of the first year of life.
The mating season begins at the end of February and lasts until mid-May, when the birds begin to build nests. Showing males scream aggressively and drum on branches. Females also make sounds and tap. Partners may chase each other and circle trees in characteristic flights.
After forming a pair, woodpeckers show aggression towards other birds, especially lekking ones.
The male chooses a tree for the nest and hollows it out for about two weeks. The hollow is located at a height of up to 8 m, its depth is from 25 to 35 cm, the diameter is about 12 cm. The entrance is round or oval from 4.5 to 6 cm in diameter.
At the end of April or beginning of May, the female lays a clutch of 4 to 8 white eggs. Both partners incubate for 12-13 days, but the male spends more time in the nest. The chicks are born naked, blind and helpless. They are fed by both parents, making up to 300 feedings per day. The chicks remain in the nest for 20 to 23 days, after which they begin to fly. The brood breaks up, but the chicks stay near the nest for another 15-20 days.
The average lifespan of woodpeckers is 9 years.
Woodpecker, video
And in conclusion, we suggest looking at a woodpecker in the wild and listening to its trill.
Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine
When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email [email protected] or Facebook, with respect, the author.
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This article is available in English - Woodpecker - Tireless Forest Worker.
