Woodpeckers are named after their habit of tapping and pecking noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. There are over 180 species of woodpeckers that come in a great variety of shapes and colours. They have the ability to cling to the trunks of trees and dig holes in the wood. They have pointed beaks that are straight and very hard, and they use their beaks rather like chisels. They also use their beaks to hammer or drum and tap to communicate with one another. They also have very stiff central tail feathers that support them while climbing or resting. They have a long tongue, in many cases as long as the woodpeckers themselves. The tongue is not attached to their head, but instead it curls back up around their skull. The toes are usually in pairs, two before and two behind and have sharp, strong claws.

Woodpeckers are seldom seen in flocks. They are often seen in pairs or single. Although woodpeckers may appear to damage trees, woodpeckers are generally good for tree health because they feed so heavily on wood-boring beetles.

Hunting Style

Woodpeckers first locate a tunnel by tapping on the tree trunk. Once a tunnel is found, they cut out wood with their pointed beak until they make an opening into the tunnel. Then with their tongue woodpeckers skewer the grub and draw it out of the trunk. Their strong beak acts as both a chisel and a crowbar to remove bark and find hiding insects. Their long tongue has a glue-like substance on the tip for catching insects.

Favourite Food

The favourite food of most woodpeckers is insects, especially the larvae of wood-boring beetles. A few woodpeckers feed on ants, nuts, or flying insects. Many also take a small amount of fruit.

Their Home

Woodpeckers are found throughout most of the world except in Australia. Woodpeckers live in wooded areas and forests. They spend their life mostly on tree trunks and branches, head up and tails down. They perch on or move up tree trunks, searching for insects or digging holes for nesting spots.

Nesting

Woodpeckers nest wherever there are trees, from rain forests to city parks. Woodpeckers generally nest in holes cut into the trunks of trees. Both male and female woodpeckers work together to excavate a cavity in a tree that is used as a nest. They use the beak to create larger holes for their nests which are 6 to 18 inches below the opening. The nests are out of sight, they are not visible to predators and eggs do not need to be camouflaged. Other birds like ducks and owls, and mammals such as tree squirrels re-use the cavities created by woodpeckers as their nests.

Young Ones

Female woodpeckers deposit several shiny, white eggs in a soft bed of rotted chips at the bottom of the cavity. Both the parent incubate the eggs for about two weeks. When the eggs hatch, they are blind and do not have any feathers. One parent brings food to the nest while the other parent stays with the young. The young generally leave the nest after 25 to 30 days.

On average, woodpeckers live from 4 to11 years.