Picidae

Woodpeckers are known for their unique behavior, foraging for insects on trees and communicating through beak drumming. Their diet includes fruits, eggs, small animals, tree sap, and carrion. They nest in cavities they excavate in tree trunks, benefiting other cavity-nesting birds. There are about 240 species in the Picidae family, with many threatened due to habitat loss, including the now-extinct Bermuda flicker.

Woodpeckers vary in size, from the tiny bar-breasted piculet at 7.5 cm to larger species like the great slaty woodpecker at up to 55 cm. They have zygodactyl feet that help them climb, strong bills for drilling, and long tongues for extracting insects. Their anatomical adaptations, including a compressible skull and a long hyoid bone, protect against injuries from pecking.

Found worldwide except Australasia, Madagascar, and Antarctica, woodpeckers thrive in diverse habitats, peaking in tropical rainforests. Their behavior ranges from solitary to communal, and they primarily feed on insects beneath bark and in wood, with some species catching flying insects or gleaning from foliage.

Ecologically, woodpeckers help maintain tree health by controlling insect populations and extracting tree sap. They build nests in tree cavities, often in rotten wood, and some species utilize alternative nesting sites like cacti or buildings. Nest competition arises quickly, and most woodpeckers are monogamous, although some breed cooperatively. Typical clutches contain two to five eggs, which incubate for 11 to 14 days, with chicks leaving the nest after 18 to 30 days.