You’ll learn about each of them, plus you’ll learn about an extinct woodpecker that once roamed the forests and swamps. The woodpeckers that you can encounter in Florida range in appearance and personality from the tame little Downy to the imposingly large Pileated. All woodpeckers make their homes in cavities excavated from usually dead or dying trees, and they all feed on insects, seeds, nuts and berries, though a few have more specialized diets. Most are dichromatic: Males are distinguished from females by flashes of red on their head or throat and sometimes by a dark “moustache” called a malar stripe. Worldwide, the Family Picidae is made up of 263 species, ranging in size from the 3-4 inch long Rufous Piculet of South Asia to the two-foot long Imperial Woodpecker, a now-extinct bird of Mexico. Plus, they have extra-strong neck muscles and a tightly packed and shock-absorbed brain, so contrary to myth, they don’t suffer from headaches. They have translucent third eyelids and bristle-like feathers over their noses, both designed to protect them against inhaling sawdust as they work. Cells on the end of their chisel-like beaks are constantly regenerating to stay sharp. Woodpeckers have some amazing adaptations to support their foraging and nesting habits. They let the songbirds do the singing while they drum, and everybody knows that drummers are wired a little differently than the other members of the band. This gives them the ability to grab hold of a tree trunk and crawl vertically up or down.įurthermore, while woodpeckers have calls that range in delivery from the squeaky to the rowdy, they don’t sing. ![]() While woodpeckers can also perch, they have “zygodactyl” feet: Two claws point forward and two point back. Passerines, including all songbirds, have three forward-facing toes and one backward-facing toe, an adaptation designed for perching. Woodpeckers have an “otherness” about them, with qualities that are unique among the bird families. ![]() ![]() They seem somehow more a part of the wild world than the robins, blackbirds or other common birds that live in our backyards. Though most are relatively common, their ways seem to set them apart. While they don’t wear the flashy colors of songbirds like warblers and vireos, they are graceful and beautiful to observe in their own right. Spying a woodpecker is sort of a “sweet spot” in birdwatching.
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