Eurasian Wryneck		Ochre-collared Piculet (Photo: Arthur Grosset)

Woodpeckers are small, medium and medium-large sized, for the most part, arboreal birds, generally recognizable by their physiology and habits. Typically, woodpeckers have chisel-like bills that are used primarily for excavating nest and roost holes in trees and other suitable plant material. They also have zygodactylous toes (2 pointing forward, 2 pointing backward) and stiff rectrices (tail feathers). These qualities allow them to traverse vertically.

There are 28 genera and 215 species.

Range and Habitat
(rust color indicates range)

Picidae has a near cosmopolitan distribution; excepting the Australian region, the Pacific, Madagascar, Ireland and the extreme polar regions. This family is generally found in most wooded areas of the world but can be found in semi-wooded, open woodland, desert/scrub habitats. A few species of Flickers prefer treeless foothill habitat.

Status in the Wild

The IUCN Red List 2001 shows:

Courtship and Egglaying

Generally, the courtship and egglaying is as follows: Pairs may remain loosely together until breeding season arrives.  At which time some aspects of bonding may occur during nest excavation. All in all the courtship of Picidae could be described as unceremonial. Only a handful of species take part in mutual feeding or preening. 

All species lay eggs in nest cavities. The true woodpeckers and the piculets excavate nest holes for laying eggs.  Wrynecks will use old woodpecker holes or resourcefully, a deep crotch or open crevice. 

Both sexes serve in some fashion in prepping the nest site (in some species the males do most of the excavation).  An average of 2-5 white, roundish, eggs are laid (some species lay as few as 2 and others as many as 10) and both sexes will incubate in most cases. Incubation ranges between 11-14 days.  Both parents will feed the chicks and fledging occurs between 18-30 days; after which the young may remain with the parents until the end of the season or until a second clutch is laid. Some species will form small family groups throughout the year.

Diet

The wryneck diet is almost exclusively ants and their larvae and pupae. They will also take spiders, small beetles, termites and occasionally berries.

There is very little data regarding the diet of piculets in the wild. What data is available is admittedly incomplete. These include primarily ants, beetles, larvae, soft insects and spiders. There is an urgent need for data in this category.

Woodpeckers feed primarily on but not limited to: ants, beetle species, spiders, moths, grasshoppers, crickets, and larvae. They also feed on nuts, seeds, berries, sap, plant material and crop plants such as corn. Many species are also adapted to flycatching.

White Woodpeckers (photo: A Grosset)

White-headed Woodpecker (photo: USFWS)

Common Flameback aka Golden-backed Woodpecker (Dinopium javanense) on exhibit (Photo: Memphis Zoo)

Movement and Migration

The piculets are generally sedentary. The Eurasian wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a true migrant; doing so mainly at night. European and west Asian populations will winter in the savannas and drier areas of western and central Africa. Eastern populations will do so in the Indian subcontinent and SE Asia. Breeding occurs across the Palearctic from Europe and boreal Asian to Japan. Some breeding may occur in western Asian and northern Africa.

Only a handful of woodpeckers are true migrants. The extreme is the yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) moves seasonally from across Canada and the NE United States to the SE U.S. and Central America. Other species may move within a proverbial home range seasonally.  J. deGraauw 01/05

Species highlighted on the list below are species that have a current status in the Piciformes TAG.

References

Winkler, H. and Christie, D. 1995.  Woodpeckers: An Identification Guide to the Woodpeckers of the World.  Houghton Mifflin Co.  New York, USA

Perrins, C. M., Middleton, A.L.A. 1989.  Woodpeckers, pp. 296-303, The Encyclopedia of Birds.  Equinox Ltd.  New York, USA.

Golden-fronted Woodpecker


Golden-fronted Woodpecker
(Melanerpes aurifrons)
Photo: Dave Behrens

Description: 
22-26cm, weight, males 73-99g, females 63-90.  Male: red from forecrown to nape of neck.  Female: red only on nape of neck.

Habitat:
Arid to semi-arid, sparse woodland.  Found in rural and semi-urban areas.  Will frequent mesquite, juniper and oak/mixed areas.

Habits and Diet:
Slightly shy woodpecker that forages on medium to large trunks and limbs.  Will store food when needed.  Consumes insects and larvae such as ants, grasshoppers and wood-boring beetles.  Also eats furits, berries, nuts, acorns and mesquite.

Breeding:
Season from March to June in the U.S.  Central-American sub-species may nest as early as January.  Nest excavated by both sexes in snags and telephone poles from 7m up.  Clutch size is 4-7 eggs.  Incubation by both parents lasts for 12-14 days.  Both parents also feed the young which fledge at about 30 days.  Second and third clutches have been reported.

TAG Status:  DERP

Description: 
24c, 56-91g.  Males are slightly larger and has red on the entire top of head where as on the female it is confined to the nape.

Habitiat:
Woodlands, woody swamps, riparian and lowlands with deciduous and/or coniferous species.  Also present in suburban and grove areas where mature and dead trees are present.

Habits and Diet:
Spends most time mainly in or near the canopy but will venture to the ground to feed.  Rather boisterous bird especially in the spring.  It will stash food items in crevices especially prior to winter.  Forages for insects including: ants, flies, grasshoppers, spiders and even eggs.  Also consumes seeds, nuts, berries and sap.

Breeding: 
Season stretches from late March to August.  The male usually excavates the nest cavity 2-18m above ground usually in dead tree.  Both parents incubate eggs. 3-8 eggs are laid; incubation lasts 12-13 days and chicks fledge in 25-28 days.

TAG STATUS:  DERP

Red-headed Woodpecker


Red-headed Woodpecker
(Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Photo: Steve Messick

Description:
Sexes alike, females slightly smaller.  Immature birds patterned the same but with drab, grey/brownish tinged head, brownish body with barred breast, tail predominately black.  Bill duller than adult.

Habitat:
Frequents mainly old mature lowland forests with a sufficient amount of dead trees and with relatively open undergrowth.  Basic requisites are old trees for nest sites, open areas for flycatching and access to the ground.  Habitats frequented by this species include various types of wooded savannas, open woodland, riparian forests, pine forests, villages, suburbs, orchards and agricultural lands (Winkler/Christie).

Measurements:
8 ½”- 9 ½” (21-24cm), weight 56-97g(Winkler/Christie).

Habits and Diet:
Prefers heights of 12-18m.  Forages ‘on the wing’ for flying insects but also gleans at various levels including on the ground.  They will store food items during winter months.  Omnivorous, this bird consumes animal matter during warmer months (including: earthworms, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, moths, butterflies, wasps, and even lizards and nestlings.  Winkler notes that flying insects are a more important food items than wood-boring larvae.  Also consumes wide variety of fruits, seeds and bark.

Breeding:
Season spans from April to September.  Predominately nesting in pairs there is some evidence of complex breeding units.  Nest holes have been measured from 2m to 25m in usually barkless trunks or limbs of a variety of species of trees.  The male excavates nest hole.  Four to five eggs are laid from April to June.  Both parents incubate for 12-13 days; they also both share all rearing duties.  The young fledge in about 30 days at which point the pair may begin a second brood.

TAG Status:  DERP

Description: 
23cm, 67-89g. Males: crown to nape is red, Females: crown is black with hindcrown red, also bill is 10% smaller.

Habitiat:
Oak and Pine-Oak woodland, semi-open woodlands and second growth forests.

Habits and Diet:
Social bird can be seen in groups of up to 15.  Stores acorns that have been gathered on the ground or in trees in crevices of bark and wood.  Holes drilled are reminiscent of sapsucker holes.  Birds glean for insects and also catch flying insects ‘on the wing’.  Consumes acorns, pine nuts, sap, fruits and berries, ants, moths, flies, eggs, and beetles.

Breeding: 
Season from April to August.  Nest holes are drilled from 2m to 25m, usually in a well-decayed tree.  Entire groups participate in nest hole excavating.  Clutch size is 4-6.  Females will destroy rival nests/eggs however they can not prevent others laying eggs in their cavity by subordinate females.  Eggs are incubated for 11-12 days and fledging occurs in about 30 days.  The entire group cares for the brood.  Second and third clutches can occur in 2-3 month intervals.

TAG STATUS:  DERP

Description:
21.5-24cm, 51-81g (males 20% heavier than females).  Males: small red patch in center of forecrown.  Females: lack red crown, smaller body and shorter bill.

Habitat:
Arid and mesic areas with scattered trees and cacti.  Also found in riparian woodlands (especially Cottonwood), plantations and sub-tropical forests (Winkler/Christie).

Habits and Diet:
Forages in trees, shrubs, cacti and on the ground.  Boisterous bird that will mob other bird species.  Omnivorous, this specie will consume grasshoppers, ants, beetles, larvae and even small lizards; and fruits, cacti, berries, plantation fruits and vegetables as well as nectar from feeders and flowers.

Breeding:
Season is from April to June.  Both sexes excavate holes in palm snags or a cactus from 3m to 10m high.  Clutch size is 3-6 eggs.  Both sexes assist in feeding young.  A second clutch may start in late July.

TAG Status:  DERP

Description: 
23cm, 67-89g. Males: crown to nape is red, Females: crown is black with hindcrown red, also bill is 10% smaller.

Habitiat:
Lives in northern deciduous and mixed coniferous forests in the summer; desires the presence of aspen Populus, an important nesting tree, other important tree species being birch Betula and hickory Carya.  Winters in forests, usually not in pure conifer stands, and forest edge and various semi-open habitats, at whch season found in montane forests.  Visits larger trees in pastures, clearings, semi-open sites, and even suburban areas; occasionally, and during passage, in lowlands and castal palm groves.  In Puerto Rico, inhabits sparsely wooded areas, though it may well occur in mountain forests.  On Grand Cayman, common in grape-almond woodland in winter (Winkler/Christie).

Habits and Diet:
Inconspicuous bird that is fairly solitary although small groups may form during migration.  Seen from 1m to under canopy where it drills shallow holes for sap and bast.  These holes may be arranged vertically or horizontally on the trunk or limbs.  Sap and cambium are a part of their diet as well as ants, arthropods, will also flycatch as well as consume berries and fresh buds off of trees.

Breeding: 
Mainly uses live trees to excavate nest holes 3-14m from the ground.  The male usually excavates the hole in about 22 days.  Clutch size is 2-5 eggs.  Both parents incubate eggs for 12-13 days and chicks fledge at around a month.

TAG STATUS:  DERP

Range of the Black-headed Woodpecker:
Burma south to Tenasserim and eastward through northwest and central Thailand, southern Laos and Cambodia, to Viet Nam.

Description: 
33cm, 100-135g. Males slightly larger, females lack red on forecrown, which is entirely black. In immature birds there is less yellow and an overall shades of buff especially on throat and breast.

Habitiat:
Prefers deciduous forests, especially dry dipterocarp and open scrub country (Winkler/Christie). Uncommon above 600m. 

Habits and Diet:
Relatively shy but extremely active, it can be seen in small groups foraging in the canopy and under story and even descending to the ground. Appears to prefer termites and ants (Winkler/Christie). More research needed.

Breeding: 
Nesting season apparently February to June (Winkler/Christie). More research needed.

TAG STATUS:  DERP

Downy Woodpecker Range:
Inhabits most of wooded areas of North America, from central Alaska eastward to Newfoundland and southern California to Florida in the south excepting non-forested areas.

Description: 
15-17cm, 20-32grams.  Male has red patch from hindcrown to nape. Females lack red on hindcrown  and is replaced with black or white streaked pattern.

Habitiat:
Deciduous forests and woodlands. Will frequent second growth forests as well as suburban and park areas with mature trees. In the southwest US prefers riverine woodlands and aspen/willow stands in coniferous areas.

Habits and Diet:
Generally, solitary.  Forages in a variety of habitats preferring live trees and limbs at all heights of the forest.  Pecking and hammering for food is common and will flycatch. Feeds mainly on insects and wood-boring beetle larvae, bark beetles, spiders, ants, moths an some berries; will also visit feeders.

Breeding: 
Courting may start in winter months. Eggs are laid in April in south and May-June in British Columbia. Nests are drilled into dead trees preferably.  Females tend to select site while male does most of the excavating and completes a hole in 13-20 days. Clutch size is 4-5 eggs, both parents, incubate, brood and feed upon hatching at 12 days.  Chicks leave the nest at about 23 days. Can double brood in a season.

TAG STATUS: DERP  

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Range of the Strickland’s Woodpecker:
SW Arizona south through western Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and from Durango to Nayarit and Jalisco.

Description: 
18-20cm, 34-51g. Males slightly larger with slightly longer bill with red on nape. In females the red on the nape is replaced with brown. Immature birds are duller overall.

Habitiat:
Pine-oak woodlands of Arizona and western Mexico. Further south this specie resides in mountainous pine, fir, oak and cypress woodlands. 

Habits and Diet:
Generally alone but can be found in pairs. Forages in pines on trunks, branches and twigs by probing and gleaning. When pecking and hammering it will sometimes use feet to remove loosened bark. Mainly feeds on insects, especially beetle larvae), some fruits and seeds.

Breeding: 
Nesting occurs in April-May. Both sexes excavate nest hole in a totally dead or dead section of tree 3-15m. 3-4 eggs are laid and both sexes incubate and tend to young which stay with as a family group until late summer.

TAG STATUS: DERP  

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Range of the Pileated Woodpecker:
From southern British Columbia eastward to Nova Scotia.  From forested North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas eastward to the Atlantic coast and northward.  Also extends from BC south into Washington and central California and Idaho and Montana.

Description: 
40-48cm, 250-340grams.  Male has red from forecrown to nape of neck and red mustache. Female has red from forecrown to crown only and lacks red mustache.  Juveniles are greyer with throat grayish or streaked.

Habitiat:
Prefers mature, tall, deciduous and/or coniferous forests of open to dense nature.  Will inhabit second growth areas with some large trees.  In the last 25 years has been found in suburbs and parks with large, mature trees.

Habits and Diet:
Seen usually alone or in pairs.  Very boisterous bird that feeds at all levels of the forest.  Forages primarily on dead wood.  During winter months pecking/hammering comprise almost 95% of their foraging activities.  Will probe and glean for food and also pluck fruit from branches.  Known for its loud call and undulating flight.  Carpenter ants make up most of its diet but will also consume wood-boring beetle larvae, termites, caterpillars, fruits, berries and nuts.

Breeding: 
Courtship may start as early as winter with eggs laid from April to June.  Nest cavities are excavated each year by both sexes.   Hole is drilled from 4-30m up in a tall, dead or old, living tree trunk in about 25 days.  2-4 eggs are laid; both parents incubate (male usually at night) and brood the young.  Chicks are fed by regurgitation.  The young fledge at about 28 days with both parents feeding after they leave the nest.  The family group may stay together until the fall.

TAG STATUS: DERP  

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Range of the Northern Flicker:
Population is very expansive over North America (in every mainland state of the USA).  Has populated many islands in the Florida Keys, Cuba, Grand Cayman. 

Northern birds migrate into the USA during winter from Canada as far south as Texas, northern Mexico and Florida to islands south of there.

*lighter color indicates summer range

Description: 
30-35cm, 121-167g.  Males are slightly larger and have a pronounced black mustache stripe which the female lacks.

Habitiat:
Prefers an open forest to treeline habitat where it can frequent the ground.  Common in suburban areas.  In Mexico, pine-oak forests are favored, in Honduras it is a second growth cloud forest dweller.  In its island territories can be found in mangroves, grape-almond plantations.

Habits and Diet:
Often found in pairs or small groups foraging on the ground.  In the forest they will search for food in dead trees.  Will also visit shrubs and undergrowth.  Diet consists of ants primarily but also prefers caterpillars, termites, larvae, crickets and grasshoppers, spiders and will also catch flying insects on the wing.  Berries, nuts and seeds also make up an important part of their diet.

Breeding: 
Breeding occurs February to July.  Nest holes are excavated in dead trees or stubs, in 5-19 days, from ground level to 27m.  Because this specie isn’t as inclined to excavate holes males will often choose abandoned holes or even cliffsides, haystacks and fence poles.  4-9 eggs are usually laid and are incubated for 11-12 days; both parents share incubation duties.  Chicks are fed by regurgitation.  They fledge at 25-28 days and stay with parents, forming small family groups, for the season; even if another clutch is laid (Winkler/Christie).

TAG STATUS: DERP  

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