The Life of Animals | Woodpecker | The smallest Woodpecker is the Bar-breasted Piculet, at 7 g and 8 cm (3 ¼ inches). The largest was the Imperial Woodpecker, at an average of 58 cm (23 inches) and Probably over 600 g (1.3 lb). If Both the Ivory-billed and Imperial Woodpeckers are indeed Extinct, Woodpecker is the largest extant of the Great Slaty Woodpecker of Southeast Asia, at about 50 cm (20 inches) and 450 g (1 lb). A number of species exhibit sexual dimorphism in size, bill length and weight.
Most species possess predominantly white, black, brown, green, and red plumage, although many piculets show a Certain amount of gray and olive green. Although the sexes of Picidae species growing niche to look alike, many Woodpecker species have more prominent red or yellow head markings in males than in females. Members of the family Picidae have strong bills for drilling and drumming on trees and long sticky Tongues for extracting food. Woodpecker bills are typically longer, sharper and stronger than the bills of piculets and wrynecks however Their morphology is very similar. Species of Woodpecker and flicker that use Their bills for probing in soil or as opposed to regular hammering growing niche to have longer and more decurved bills. Their Smaller bills due to size, many piculets and wrynecks Will forage in decaying wood Often more than woodpeckers.
Many of the foraging, breeding and signaling behaviors of woodpeckers involve drumming and hammering using the bill. To Prevent Brain Damage from the rapid and repeated decelerations, woodpeckers have evolved a number of adaptations to protect the brain. The millisecond before contact with wood a thickened nictitating membrane closes, protecting the eye from flying debris. Woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks all possess zygodactyl feet. In Addition to the strong claws and feet, woodpeckers have short strong legs. This is typical of birds That regularly forage on trunks. The tails of all woodpeckers except the piculets and wrynecks are stiffened, and the bird perches on vertical surfaces, the tail and feet work together to support it.
The woodpeckers range from highly antisocial solitary species are aggressive to other That members of Their species, to species That live in groups. Group-living species growing niche to be communal group Breeders. In Addition to these species, a number of species may join mixed-species feeding flocks with other insectivorous birds, although They growing niche to stay at the edges of these groups. Joining these flocks allows woodpeckers to Decrease of anti-predator vigilance and increase of Their feeding rate. Woodpeckers are diurnal, roosting at night inside holes. In most species the Roost Will Become the nest During the breeding season
The diet of woodpeckers consists Mainly of Insects and Their grubs taken from living and dead trees, and other arthropods, along with fruit from live trees, nuts and sap Both from live trees. The insect prey most commonly taken Insects are found inside tree trunks, whether They are alive or rotten wood and in crevices in bark on trees. Hammered having a hole into the wood the prey is excavated by a long barbed tongue. The ability to excavate allows woodpeckers to Obtain tree sap, an Important source of food for some species. It was once thought That the technique was restricted to the New World, but the Old World species Such as the Arabian Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker also feed in this way. Prehistoric representatives of the extant Picidae genera are treated in the genus articles.