Birds that drill into trees for insects and drum on them to communicate. Their skulls and long tongue bone absorb the shock of pecking. Old woodpecker holes become homes for many other birds.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?Insects only
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, Africa, North America, South America
HabitatForest, Towns
ColoursBlack, White, Red
SizeSmall
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives alone
Lives for4–12 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide except Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the polar regions.
- What it eats
- Mainly insects dug from wood; some species also eat fruit, eggs, sap, carrion and scraps.
Did you know
Its tongue wraps around the back of its skull as a shock absorber.
The Gila woodpecker specialises in nesting in cacti.
Often confused with
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