Bearded woodpecker

Dendropicos namaquus

Photo by José Kemp (PBase)

Common name:
bearded woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-bigodes (pt); pic barbu (fr); pico barbudo (es); Namaspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic and Sudan to Senegal and south to South Africa, only being absent from the dense rainforests of the Congo basin.

Size:
These birds are 25-28 cm long and weigh 67-98 g.

Habitat:
The bearded woodpecker avoids dense forests, typically being found in deciduous woodlands, dry savannas, wooded grasslands and dry scrublands with some large trees. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They probe the bark of the trees in search of beetle larvae and pupae, caterpillars, termites, and spiders. They are also known for occasionally hunting lizards.

Breeding:
Bearded woodpeckers can breed all year rounds, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is an oval-shaped hole excavated by both sexes on a large tree, either dead or alive, usually 2-20 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge around 27 days after hatching, only becoming fully independent 1-2 months later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be widespread and locally common but seldom numerous. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Golden-tailed woodpecker

Campethera abingoni

Photo by Arno Meintjes (Flickr)

Common name:
golden-tailed woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-cauda-dourada (pt); pic à queue dorée (fr); pito colidorado (es); goldschwanzspecht (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae


Range:
This African species is found from Uganda and northern Angola to South Africa.


Size:
These birds are 20-23 cm long and weigh 55-80 g.


Habitat:
The golden-tailed woodpecker is found in riparian woodlands, dry savannas, scrublands, grasslands, rural areas and parks and gardens within urban areas. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.


Diet:
They probe the branches of trees in search of arthropods such as ants, termites, caterpillars and millipedes.


Breeding:
Golden-tailed woodpeckers are monogamous and may mate for life. They breed in August-December and both sexes help excavate the nest, usually a hole in the underside of a tree branch. The female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 22-25 days after hatching, become fully independent a few weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-cockaded woodpecker

Picoides borealis

Photo by Matthew Hacker (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-cockaded woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-faces-brancas (pt); pic à face blanche (fr); pico de Florida (es); kokardenspecht (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae


Range:
This species is endemic to the Unites States, with scattered populations being found in the south-eastern parts of the country, especially in Florida and South Carolina but as far north as Virginia ans as far west as eastern Texas and Oklahoma.


Size:
These birds are 18-23 cm long and have a wingspan of 34-41 cm. They weigh 40-56 g.


Habitat:
The red-cockaded woodpecker is found in fire-sustained open pine-forests, mostly longleaf pine Pinus palustris, but other species of southern pine such as shortleaf P. echinata, slash P. elliotti, or loblolly P. taeda pines are also acceptable. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.


Diet:
They are omnivorous, eating adult and larval arthropods, especially beetles and ants, but also seeds, nuts and fruits.


Breeding:
Red-cockaded woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, lives in small family groups composed of one breeding pair and several helpers. These helpers are usually the male offspring from previous breeding seasons and help incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. They breed in April-July, nesting in cavities excavated into old living pines, often selecting trees infected with the red heart fungus, which softens the wood. The female lays 2-5 white eggs, which are incubated for 10-13 days. The chicks fledge 25-29 days after hatching, but remain with the family group for at east 5 months.


Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a large but fragmented breeding range. The population was originally distributed throughout the south-eastern united states, but it is now restricted to about 30 populations totalling 9.000-11.000 individuals, having undergone a large decrease of 26% per decade over the last 4 decades. However, some of the populations are now stable or increasing as a result of intensive management. The main threats to the red-cockaded woodpecker are habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by long-term clearance, inbreeding depression due to the small size of some of the small and isolated populations, and infestations by southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis, which increase food availability, but kill the tree reducing the available nesting sites. Competition by pileated woodpeckers Dryocopus pileatus and reduced fire management due to expanding human populations may also have a negative impact.

Acorn woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Photo by Steve Ryan (Wikipedia)

Common name:
acorn woodpecker (en); pica-pau-das-bolotas (pt); pic glandivore (fr); carpintero bellotero (es); eichelspecht (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae


Range:
This species is found from north- western Oregon and California, in the United States, through western Mexico and across Central America down to northern Colombia.


Size:
These birds are 19-24 cm long and have a wingspan of 35-43 cm. They weigh 65-90 g.


Habitat:
The acorn woodpecker is mostly found in oak and pine-oak woodlands, but also in riparian corridors, Douglas firs, redwood and tropical hardwood forests as long as oaks are available nearby. They can also be found in urban parks with plenty of oak trees. They typically occur at altitudes of 1.000-3.300 m, but may be found at lower altitudes.


Diet:
These birds are omnivorous. They eat various insects, including ants, butterflies, flies, aphids, leafhoppers, beetles and bugs. They also eat the acorns of various oaks, which are form the bulk of their winter diet. Other items in their diet include sap, oak catkins, fruits, flower nectar and even small lizards, mammals and bird eggs and chicks.


Breeding:
Acorn woodpeckers breed in April-June. Some populations are monogamous while others are polygynous, in which case all females lay their eggs in the same nest cavity. The nest is a cavity drilled into a large dead or living limb of a tree, up to 7,5 m above the ground. Each female lays 2-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 11 days. All group members provide food for the chicks, who fledge 30-32 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 4 million individuals. In North America, the population has undergone a small increase over the last four decades.

Olivaceous piculet

Picumnus olivaceus

Photo by Jose García (Birding Panama)

Common name:
olivaceous piculet (en); pica-pau-anão-azeitona (pt); picumne olivâtre (fr); carpinterito oliváceo (es); olivrücken-zwergspecht (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae


Range:
These birds are found from Guatemala and Honduras, through Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, and into Colombia, western Venezuela, western Ecuador and north-western Peru.


Size:
This tinny woodpecker is 8-10 cm long and weighs 12-13 g.


Habitat:
Olivaceous piculets are found in dry forests, moist forests, along forests edges, and in shady pastures, plantations and second-growth vegetation. These birds are found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.


Diet:
They mostly feed in very slender dead branches and twigs, taking adult and larval ants and termites but also other insects and larvae.


Breeding:
The olivaceous piculet breeds in January-June. Both sexes help carve a neatly rounded cavity in dead trunks or in decaying fence-posts, 1-4 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 24-25 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Golden-fronted woodpecker

Melanerpes aurifrons

(Photo from Animal Pictures Archive)

Common name:
golden-fronted woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-testa-dourada (pt); pic à front doré (fr); carpintero frentidorado (es); goldstirnspecht (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae


Range:
This species is found from Texas and Oklahoma, in the United States, through Mexico and into Honduras and northern Nicaragua.


Size:
These birds are 22-27 cm long and have a wingspan of 43 cm. They weigh 65-102 g.


Habitat:
Golden-fronted woodpeckers are found in open and semi-open woodlands, second-growth forests and scrublands, generally preferring mesquite and riparian areas. They can also be found in rural areas and parks. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.


Breeding:
These birds are omnivorous, eating both insects, namely grasshoppers, beetles and ants, but also acorns, seeds, fruits and berries. They are also known to take bird eggs and small lizards.


Breeding:
Golden-fronted woodpeckers nest in holes excavated into trees, fence poles, posts or sometimes cacti. The female lays 4-7 white eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 30 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 1-3 broods per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1,7 million individuals. The population in the United States has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades; however, this represents less than half of the overall population.

Cardinal woodpecker

Dendropicos fuscescens

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

cardinal woodpecker (en); pica-pau-cardeal (pt); pic cardinal (fr); pito cardenal (es); kardinalspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This African species is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, excluding dense equatorial lowland forest, all the way to South Africa.

Size:

Cardinal woodpeckers are 14-15 cm long and weigh 28-32 g.

Habitat:

They are found in a wide range of habitats, from dense moist and dry forests, to savannas, scrublands, inland wetlands and also agricultural areas, gardens and urban areas.

Diet:

They mostly glean ants and termites from the bark and leaves of trees, but will also eat beetles, caterpillars, wasps and spiders, and even seed pods and fruits.

Breeding:

Cardinal woodpeckers breed in July-December. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is usually a hole in the underside of a tree branch, although nesting in wooden fence posts has also been recorded. There the female lays 1-3 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 12-13 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents and fledge 27 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 1-2 months later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and is reported to be common and widespread in most of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-fronted woodpecker

Melanerpes flavifrons

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:

yellow-fronted woodpecker (en); benedito-de-testa-amarela (pt); pic à front jaune (fr); carpintero de frente amarilla (es); goldmaskenspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

The yellow-fronted woodpecker is found in Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

Size:

These birds are 17-19,5 cm long and weigh 49-64 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in both coastal and mountainous areas of Atlantic tropical forests, but also in heavily degraded former forest, plantations and arable land.

Diet:

Yellow-fronted woodpecker mostly eat fruits and seeds, namely oranges, bananas, papayas, avocados and other tropical fruits. They also eat insects and their larvae.

Breeding:

These birds breed in January-April. They are polygynous, with each male mating with 3-4 females, all of which lay their eggs in the same nest or in different nests in the same tree. The nest is excavated in the trunk of a dead tree or palm tree, where each females lay 2-4 shiny white eggs. The eggs are incubated by both sexes for 12 days and the chicks are fed by both sexes and fledge 5 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The yellow-fronted woodpecker has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This species is targeted by the international pet trade, but the population is not considered threatened at present.

Green woodpecker

Picus viridis

Photo by Angel Domínguez (Photo.net)

Common name:

green woodpecker (en); pica-pau-verde (pt); pic vert (fr); pito real (es); grünspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This species is found throughout Europe, with the exceptions of Iceland, Ireland and the northernmost parts of Scandinavia. It is also present in north-west Africa and western Asia.

Size:

The green woodpecker is 30-36 cm long and has a wingspan of 45-51 cm. They weigh 140-200 g.

Habitat:

This species is usually found in semi-open landscapes with small woodlands, hedges, scattered old trees, edges of forests, floodplain forests and in wooded gardens and parks. They also forage in areas of grassland, heaths, plantations, orchards, lawns and even sand dunes.

Diet:

Unlike other woodpeckers, the green woodpecker does most of its foraging on the ground. This species is specialized on ants, particularly Formica and Lasius. They will also eat other arthropods, mainly flies, mosquitoes and spiders, and occasionally also worms, berries, seeds and even small fruits.

Breeding:

They breed in April-July. Male and female both contribute to nest construction, excavating a hole in a rotting tree trunk. There the female lays 5-8 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 17-19 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 21-27 days after hatching. Each pair only raises a single clutch each year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The green woodpeckers has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2-5 million individuals. The population trend is stable and there is no evidence for any significant threats.

Black-rumped flameback

Dinopium benghalense

Photo by Sagar Mhatre (Foto Community)

Common name:

black-rumped flameback (en); pica-pau-de-Bengala (pt); pic du Bengale (fr); pito bengalí (es); orangespecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This species is found throughout India and Sri lanka, west to Pakistan and east through Nepal and Bangladesh and into Myanmar.

Size:

The black-rumped flameback is 26-29 cm long and weighs 90-130 g.

Habitat:

This species is found in various types of open forests, as well as coconut and palm plantations and in urban parks, gardens and wooded avenues. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:

Black-rumped flamebacks forage both on the ground and in the canopies, mainly eating beetle larvae, termites, ants, weevils and spiders. They also eat fruits and occasionally nectar.

Breeding:

These birds breed in February-July. They nest in a hole, excavated by both sexes on a tree or more rarely in mud embankments. There the female lays 2-3 glossy white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 11 days. The chicks are cared for by both parents with regurgitated food and fledge 19-21 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be common to locally common throughout this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats, so the black-rumped flameback is not threatened at present.

Hispaniolan woodpecker

Melanerpes striatus

Photo by Alef Castellanos (Flickr)

Common name:

Hispaniolan woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-Hispaniola (pt); pic d'Hispaniola (fr); carpintero de Hispaniola (es); Haitispecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This species is endemic to the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean, being found in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Size:

The Hispaniolan woodpecker is 20-25 cm long. Males tend to be larger in this species, weighing 83-92 g while females weigh 65-75 g.

Habitat:

These birds a found in virtually any wooded habitat within Hispaniola, from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m. They can be found in both wet and dry forests, in pines and hardwoods, in thorny scrub, coffee plantations, palm trees, cacti and mangroves. This species achieves its highest densities in woodlands interspersed with agricultural land, especially where crops are associated with scattered palm trees.

Diet:

Hispaniolan woodpeckers mostly eat insects and other arthropods, including beatles, butterflies, ants, scorpions and spiders. They also eat small Anolis lizards, fruits and seeds. They typically forage alone or in pairs, searching for food in the trees, 7-20 m above the ground.

Breeding:

These birds breed in February-July. They nest in loose colonies of 5-20 pairs, with both members of each pair digging holes in dead palm trees or in the trunks of live trees, cacti or even telephone poles. They are also known to nest in hollow cliffs. The female lays 4-6 eggs which are incubated for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents but the fledging period was not yet recorded.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the global population size is yet to be quantified this species is described as common over its restricted breeding range. This species may be the target of persecution by farmers and plantation workers due to the damage they can cause to cocoa plantations. Although the population is currently stable, habitat loss and fragmentation, increased urbanisation and direct persecution could cause population declines if adequate legislation is not put into place within its restricted range on Hispaniola.

Arizona woodpecker

Picoides arizonae

Photo by Alan Wilson (Naturepicsonline)

Common name:

Arizona woodpecker (en); pica-pau-do-Arizona (pt); pic d'Arizona (fr); carpintero de Arizona (es); Arizonaspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This species cccurs in the United States, the mountains of extreme southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, and in Mexico through the Sierra Madre Occidental of Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Zacatecas, and Michoaca.

Size:

This small woodpecker is 18-20 cm long and has a wingspan of 36 cm. They weigh 34-51 g.

Habitat:

The Arizona woodpecker is restricted to Madrean woodland and forests riparian areas, where they are especially dependent on evergreen oaks and adjacent riparian woodland, occuring in mountain oak or pine-oak habitats. They are found at altitudes of 1.200-2100 m.

Diet:

They mostly eat adult and larval insects, especially beetle larvae. They also take fruits and acorns.

Breeding:

These birds breed in April-May. They nest in cavities, excavated by the male and possibly also the female, in dead wood in evergreen oaks, sycamores, maples and cottonwoods, riparian walnuts, and occasionally in agave stalk. There the female lays 2-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14 days. The chicks are brooded and fed by both parents and fledge 24-27 days after hatching. In the first weeks after fledging the chicks may continue to receive food from parents.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although this species has a restricted breeding range, the population of 200.000 individuals is believed to be increasing, so the Arizona woodpecker is not threatened at present. This species is dependent on healthy oak and riparian forests and being one of the primary cavity nesters in the area, it is responsible for providing nest sites for a large number of additional species.

Japanese woodpecker

Picus awokera

Photo by Koji Taji (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:

Japanese woodpecker (en); pica-pau-japonês (pt); pic awokéra (fr); pito japonés (es); Japangrünspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This bird in endemic to Japan, being found from Honshu, south to Shikoku, Kyushu, Yakushima and Tanegashima. It is also present in the offshore islands of Tobishima, Awashima, Sado and Tsushima.

Size:

The Japanese woodpecker is 30 cm long and weighs 120-140 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in woodland habitats, both in mixed and coniferous forests, at altitudes of 300-2000 m.

Diet:

They collect insects from the bark of the trees.

Breeding:

Like all woodpeckers, they make a hole in a tree where they nest. There the female lays 2-5 eggs which are incubated for 11-14 days. Both parents will feed the chicks and fledging takes place 18-30 days after hatching.

Conservation

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be fairly common across its considerably large breeding range. The species is not considered threatened at present.

Pileated woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

(Photo from Carkeek Wetland)

Common name:

pileated woodpecker (en); pica-pau-grande (pt); grand pic (fr); picamaderos norteamericano (es); helmspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This North American species is found throughout the eastern United States, all across Canada and down the Pacific coast to California.

Size:

This very large woodpecker is 40-49 cm long and have a wingspan of 66-75 cm. They weigh 250-350 g.

Habitat:

They are only found in forested areas, in both deciduous and coniferous forests as long as they have large trees.

Diet:

Pileated woodpeckers are mostly insectivorous, hunting carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae from under the tree bark. They may also eat fruits and nuts.

Breeding:

These birds usually pair for life. In April the male makes a hole in a tree, most often in a dead tree. There, the female lays 1-6 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 15-16 days. The chicks take a month to fledge.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

The pileated woodpecker has a very large breeding range and a population estimated at 930.000 individuals. The population has undergone a significant increase over the last 40 years so the species is not considered threatened at present.

Wryneck

Jynx torquilla

Photo by Alex Auer (Nature Photo CZ)

Common name:
wryneck (en); torcicolo (pt); torcol fourmilier (fr); torcecuello (es); wendehals (de)

Taxonomy:
Ordem Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
During the breeding season this species is present throughout Europe, with the exceptions of Ireland and Iceland. They also breed along the southern regions of Russia, all the way to the Pacific coast. In Asia they are also present in northern China and Mongolia. An isolated population breeds in the Kashmir region both in India and China. The European population winters in Africa, along the Sahel belt, south of the Sahara. The Asian populations winter in the southeast of the continent, from India in the west, through Myanmar and Thailand, and into southern China.  The populations in northern Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are resident and stay in that region all year round.

Size:
This small woodpecker averages 17 cm in length and has a wingspan of 26 cm. Males and females are similar in size and weigh around 38 g.

Habitat:
The wryneck mostly uses woodland and farmland, avoiding steppes, deserts, mountains and wetlands. It does not favour dense or tall forests, preferring fringes, open woodlands, clearings, or, especially, parks, orchards, cemeteries and large gardens. Prefers deciduous to coniferous trees, and is less interested in trunks than in branches, often fairly close to ground. During migration these birds can use a variety of sandy habitats, even deserts, where they forage on ants. While wintering, these birds can be found in broad-leaved or thorn scrubland, semi-desert, and cultivations.

Diet:
Feeds almost exclusively on ants, both adults and larvae. Uses its long, glutinous tongue to remove the ants from their holes.

Breeding:
Wrynecks usually nest in a natural hole in a tree, but they will also make use of holes in walls and nest boxes. They lay up to 10 pale grey-green eggs, most commonly in May, which are incubated by the female for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed ants by both parents and fledge about 3 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The species has a very wide range, and a global population of over 5 million individuals. Although the population may be suffering a small decline, there are no significant threats afecting its survival at present.