Woodpecker Facts

With the mention of woodpecker, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is the long-billed bird that pecks woods rapidly. But, there is more to the pecking ability of this unique bird that separates it from other different types of birds. Do you know that a woodpecker pecks wood at a speed of 20 times per second? And what about the lengthy tongue of woodpecker that is three times the bill length? Scroll down to find more facts that will surely leave you astounded.

Woodpecker Facts and Information

Woodpeckers are distributed almost all over the world, except for Madagascar, Australia and extremely cold regions. Belonging to the near passerine group of birds, they are truly arboreal in habit. The adaptive features make woodpecker an excellent hunter for insects and worms from deep inside the wood. In total, there are about 250 species of woodpecker. They share some common attributes which are presented as facts about woodpeckers.

Diversity
The woodpecker genus Picumnus comprises highly diverse bird species. A few of them thrive in deserts and sloppy regions, where there are no trees. Also, diversity of woodpecker lies in their size; the smallest woodpecker is bar-breasted piculet (about 8 cm), while the largest is the great slaty woodpecker (about 58 cm).

Bill
There is no need to remind about the strength of the woodpecker bill. It is rather designated as chisel-like bill that helps in boring even the hardest wood. The beak is used for foraging or extracting worms from inside the wood, roosting and nesting purposes. According to species, holes of various sizes are made in the wood for nesting.

Tongue
The tongue of a woodpecker is extraordinarily long. Refer to woodpecker anatomy and try to locate its tongue. It enters the right nostril, circles around the skull (on the outer side) and comes out in the mouth. In addition to the length, the tongue possesses a barb at the tip for catching insects and grubs.

Feet
Sharp claws, specifically arranged toes and short legs collectively help a woodpecker to cling tightly to vertical wood surfaces. The toe arrangement of this bird is called zygodactyl, in which out of the 4 toes, the first and fourth are pointed to the backward direction, while the second and third toes orient forward. There are also three-toed species of woodpeckers.

Tail
The long, stiff tail feathers located at the near center is an adaptive feature of woodpecker for its arboreal habit. What is so special about this tail is that, it creates a 'tripod' with the two legs, thus balancing the bird's body while pecking the wood. Molting of these stiff feather occurs in a cycle, and shed only after new feathers are grown.

Behavior
Facts about woodpecker include its drumming behavior. Both the male and female neither make vocal sounds nor use sign language for communication. This bird drums to attract mates, mark territory or simply, to communicate with each other. Many a time, you will find woodpecker drumming on hollow wood, trash bins, poles and other resonating objects.

Flight
A woodpecker adopts a unique pattern of wing beats while flying. If you observed a flying woodpecker, it flaps thrice followed by a quick glide, before flapping again three times. This specific patterned of undulating flight is a characteristic feature of all woodpecker species.

Lifespan
At a time, a female woodpecker after mating lays 2-8 eggs. The young birds that emerge after incubation are naked and blind. Both the male and female are responsible for incubating eggs and raising the young ones. Based on the species, woodpecker can live for 4-11 years. Woodpecker prefers to fly solitary, and rarely, is seen flying in flocks.

If you get a chance to study this bird, see the stiff feathers located near the nostrils. These bristle like structure helps in preventing inhalation of small wood pieces. The pecking ability of this bird also makes it a destructive pest in many old, wooden homes. If it is so, tips for getting rid of woodpeckers should be followed without delay. You can use woodpecker deterrents, reflective tapes and preventive measures to drive away woodpecker from attacking wooden homes.