Woodpeckers

Information about Woodpeckers:

Woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family of near-passerine birds called Picidae. Members of this family are found throughout the world (except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the frigid regions the the remote poles.) Most of these birds inhabit in forests or woodland areas, although some species can be found in areas with few or no trees, like rocky hillsides and arid deserts. There are about 300 species in this family, with 30 different genus. The name comes from the obvious behavior the bird has when it uses its sharp and powerful bill to drill into trees (usually dead ones) looking for insects and other food.

One curious species – the Acorn Woodpecker – will live communally with other individuals, and near a large tree where they will drill holes into it, and place acorns. These trees can become imbedded with hundreds or even thousands of acorns. Woodpeckers are hardy birds that can live in nearly any environment, including urban areas and cities, provided there are enough trees to provide cover and ample hunting grounds.

The smallest woodpecker is the Bar-breasted Piculet of South America being only 3.25 inches long (8 cm). The largest woodpecker was the Imperial Woodpecker found in Mexico but perhaps is extinct in the wild – which would average of 23 inches (58 cm) long. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is the one of the most famous woodpeckers, as it was declared by science to be extinct, but unconfirmed reports have claimed to have seen or heard the bird in the swamps of the southern United States.