Interesting Facts About WOODPECKERS

Interesting Facts About Woodpeckers:

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. Here are some interesting facts about Wood Peckers :-

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Subfamily: Picinae
Genera: Melanerpes, Sphyrapicus, Xiphidiopicus, Dendropicos, Dendrocopos, Picoides, Veniliornis, Campethera, Geocolaptes, Dinopium, Meiglyptes, Hemicircus, Micropternus, Picus, Mulleripicus, Dryocopus, Celeus, Piculus, Colaptes, Campephilus, Chrysocolaptes, Reinwardtipicus, Blythipicus, Gecinulus
Sapheopipo
Species: More than 200
Natural Habitat: Forested Areas
Diet: Tree sap, nuts, insect larvae etc

Amazing Information about Woodpeckers 

There are more than 200 species of woodpeckers scattered all over the world. Woodpeckers are able to drill holes in the bark and wood of trees in search of insects. Woodpeckers have very long tongues which they use to capture their prey. 

Woodpeckers have predominantly white, black and brown, green and red plumage. Woodpeckers have a pair of firm and centrally located tail feathers that supports and keeps them upright on trees. A very thick skull and squashy bone protects the brain of woodpeckers from shocks caused by persistent pecking behavior.

Stubbly and coarse feathers over their nostrils help woodpeckers to ward off wood flakes created by pecking. Both parents engage in the incubation of young ones, who are born naked and blind. All woodpeckers fly in a typical pattern, with three flaps followed by a single glide.  

Woodpeckers create new holes every year. Thus, old cavities drilled by them are used by other hole-nesting species such as starlings, chickadees, owls, and squirrels.

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