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For other uses, see Woodpecker (disambiguation).
Woodpeckers
Hairy Woodpecker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Subfamily: Picinae
Genera

Melanerpes
Sphyrapicus
Xiphidiopicus
Dendropicos
Dendrocopos
Picoides
Veniliornis
Campethera
Geocolaptes
Dinopium
Meiglyptes
Hemicircus
Micropternus
Picus
Mulleripicus
Dryocopus
Celeus
Piculus
Colaptes
Campephilus
Chrysocolaptes
Reinwardtipicus
Blythipicus
Gecinulus
Sapheopipo

Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. The Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus) is a medium-sized Woodpecker. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Six families of largely arboreal Birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae which includes the Woodpeckers Melanerpes is a Genus of Woodpeckers of the family Picidae. Species of Melanerpes The Sapsuckers form the Genus Sphyrapicus within the Woodpecker family Picidae. UserPolbot. -->The Cuban Green Woodpecker ( Xiphidiopicus percussus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> Dendropicos is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family Dendrocopos is a widepread Genus of Woodpeckers from Asia and Europe and Northern Africa. Picoides is a Genus of Woodpeckers ( family Picidae) found primarily in North America. UserPolbot. --> Veniliornis is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family UserPolbot. --> Campethera is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family The Ground Woodpecker, Geocolaptes olivaceus, is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world The flamebacks are large Woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. UserPolbot. --> Meiglyptes is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family UserPolbot. --> Hemicircus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family The Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus is a brown Woodpecker found in South Asia Picus is a genus of Birds in the Woodpecker family It has representatives in Europe, Asia and North Africa. UserPolbot. --> Mulleripicus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family Dryocopus is a genus of large powerful Woodpeckers typically 35-45 cm in length Celeus is a genus of Woodpeckers found in tropical and subtropical forests and woodland in Central and South America. UserPolbot. --> Piculus is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family A Genus of Bird encompassing many members of the Woodpecker family Campephilus is a Genus of large American Woodpeckers in the Family Picidae. The flamebacks are large Woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. The Orange-backed Woodpecker, Reinwardtipicus validus, is a Woodpecker found in Indonesia. UserPolbot. --> Blythipicus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family UserPolbot. --> Gecinulus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family The is a Woodpecker endemic to the island of Okinawa in Japan. Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to Arboreal Birds or those most often believed to be related to the true Passerines Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Six families of largely arboreal Birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae which includes the Woodpeckers They are found worldwide and include about 180 species.

Woodpeckers gained their English name because of the habit of some species of tapping and pecking noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or This is both a means of communication to signal possession of territory to their rivals, and a method of locating and accessing insect larvae found under the bark or in long winding tunnels in the tree.

Contents

Physiology and behaviour

Some woodpeckers and wrynecks in the order Piciformes have zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The wrynecks (genus Jynx) are a small but distinctive group of small Old World Woodpeckers Like the true woodpeckers wrynecks have large In Biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits ( Fingers and Toes on the Hands feet, or sometimes Wings of a These feet, though adapted for clinging to a vertical surface, can be used for grasping or perching. Several species have only three toes. The woodpecker's long tongue, in many cases as long as the woodpecker itself, can be darted forward to capture insects. The tongue is the large bundle of Skeletal muscles on the floor of the Mouth that manipulates Food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition The tongue is not attached to the woodpecker's head in the same way as it is in most birds, but instead it curls back up around its skull, which allows it to be so long.

The woodpecker first locates a tunnel by tapping on the trunk. Once a tunnel is found, the woodpecker chisels out wood until it makes an opening into the tunnel. A chisel is a Tool with a characteristically shaped Cutting edge (such that wood chisels have lent part of their name to a particular grind) of blade on Then it worms its tongue into the tunnel to try to locate the grub. The tongue is the large bundle of Skeletal muscles on the floor of the Mouth that manipulates Food for chewing and swallowing (deglutition The tongue of the woodpecker is long and ends in a barb. With its tongue the woodpecker skewers the grub and draws it out of the trunk.

Woodpeckers also use their beaks to create larger holes for their nests which are 15–45 cm (6–18 inches) below the opening. These nests are lined only with wood chips and hold 2–8 white eggs laid by the females. Because the nests are out of sight, they are not visible to predators and eggs do not need to be camouflaged. Cavities created by woodpeckers are also reused as nests by other birds, such as grackles, starlings, some ducks and owls, and mammals, such as tree squirrels. A Grackle is a gregarious Passerine bird native to North and South America. Starlings are small to medium-sized Passerine Birds in the family Sturnidae. For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation. The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e Although the term tree squirrel can refer to any Arboreal member of the family Sciuridae, it is generally in reference to the common and widely distributed

Several adaptations combine to protect the woodpecker's brain from the substantial pounding that the pecking behaviour causes: it has a relatively thick skull with relatively spongy bone to cushion the brain; there is very little cerebrospinal fluid in its small subarachnoid space; the bird contracts mandibular muscles just before impact, thus transmitting the impact past the brain and allowing its whole body to help absorb the shock; its relatively small brain is less prone to concussion than other animals'. Cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear Bodily fluid that occupies the Subarachnoid space and the Ventricular system In the Central nervous system, the subarachnoid cavity ( subarachnoid space) is the interval between the Arachnoid membrane and Pia mater [1]

Some species have modified joints between bones in the skull and upper jaw, as well as muscles which contract to absorb the shock of the hammering. Strong neck and tail-feather muscles, and a chisel-like bill are other hammering adaptations which are seen in most species. Other species of woodpecker, such as the Flicker, uses its long tongue primarily to grab prey from the ground or from under loose bark. It has few shock-absorbing adaptations, and prefers to feed on the ground or to chip away at rotting wood and bark, habits observed in birds outside of the woodpecker family. A "continuum" in skull structures, from little- to highly-specialized for pounding is seen in different genera (groups of related species) of woodpeckers alive today. In his classic "Birds of America," John James Audubon describes the slight gradations in hyoid horn length found in different species of living woodpeckers. John James Audubon ( April 26 1785 – January 27 1851) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, hunter The hyoid bone ( lingual bone) (Latin os hyoideum) is a Bone in the Neck, and is the only bone in the human skeleton not articulated to any The slack of tongue is kept under the loose skin behind its neck. The tiny bones divide into essentially two tongues, coming back together before entering the beak.

Systematics

The systematics of woodpeckers is quite convoluted. Based on an assumption of unrealistically low convergence in details of plumage and behavior, 5 subfamilies were distinguished. In the absence of a more specific context convergence denotes the approach toward a definite value as time goes on or to a definite point a common view or opinion or However, it has turned out that similar plumage patterns and modes of life are not reliable to determine higher phylogenetic relationships in woodpeckers, and thus only 3 subfamilies should be accepted.

For example, the genera Dryocopus (Eurasia and Americas) and Campephilus (Americas) of large woodpeckers were believed to form a distinct group. Dryocopus is a genus of large powerful Woodpeckers typically 35-45 cm in length For the superstate in George Orwell 's novel see Nations of Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Campephilus is a Genus of large American Woodpeckers in the Family Picidae. However, they are quite unrelated and instead close to a Southeast Asian genus, Mulleripicus and Chrysocolaptes, respectively. UserPolbot. --> Mulleripicus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family The flamebacks are large Woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. In addition, the genus allocation of many species, e. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic g. the Rufous Woodpecker, has turned out to be in error, and some taxa with unclear relationships could be placed into the phylogeny [2][3]. The Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus is a brown Woodpecker found in South Asia

Unassigned fossil forms

Species in taxonomic order

Tribe Dendropicini

Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons
Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons
Hoffmann's Woodpecker, Melanerpes hoffmannii
Hoffmann's Woodpecker, Melanerpes hoffmannii
Male (left) and female American Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis. Plate by Louis Agassiz Fuertes.
Male (left) and female American Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis. The Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons, is a North American Woodpecker. Hoffmann's Woodpecker, Melanerpes hoffmannii, is a resident breeding Bird from southern Honduras south to Costa Rica. Melanerpes is a Genus of Woodpeckers of the family Picidae. Species of Melanerpes The White Woodpecker, Melanerpes candidus, is a Species of Woodpecker ( Family Picidae) found in South America. The Lewis's Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis, is a large North American species of Woodpecker which was named for Meriwether Lewis, one of the UserPolbot. -->The Guadeloupe Woodpecker ( Melanerpes herminieri) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Puerto Rican Woodpecker ( Melanerpes portoricensis) is the only Woodpecker endemic to the Archipelago of Puerto Rico and is The Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus, is a small or medium-sized Woodpecker from temperate North America. The Acorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized Woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g UserPolbot. -->The Golden-naped Woodpecker ( Melanerpes chrysauchen) is a species of Bird in the The Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Melanerpes pucherani, is a resident breeding Bird from southeastern Mexico south to western Ecuador. UserPolbot. -->The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker ( Melanerpes cruentatus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Yellow-fronted Woodpecker ( Melanerpes flavifrons) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The White-fronted Woodpecker ( Melanerpes cactorum) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Hispaniolan Woodpecker Melanerpes striatus is a medium sized Woodpecker endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. UserPolbot. -->The Jamaican Woodpecker ( Melanerpes radiolatus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Golden-cheeked Woodpecker ( Melanerpes chrysogenys) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Grey-breasted Woodpecker ( Melanerpes hypopolius) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Yucatan Woodpecker ( Melanerpes pygmaeus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Red-crowned Woodpecker, Melanerpes rubricapillus, is a resident breeding Bird from southwestern Costa Rica south to Colombia, Venezuela Hoffmann's Woodpecker, Melanerpes hoffmannii, is a resident breeding Bird from southern Honduras south to Costa Rica. The Gila Woodpecker ( Melanerpes uropygialis) is a medium-sized Woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States. The Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Melanerpes aurifrons, is a North American Woodpecker. The Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, is a medium-sized Woodpecker of the Picidae family UserPolbot. -->The West Indian Woodpecker ( Melanerpes superciliaris) is a species of Bird in the The Sapsuckers form the Genus Sphyrapicus within the Woodpecker family Picidae. Williamson's Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, is a medium-sized Woodpecker belonging to the Genus Sphyrapicus ( Sapsuckers The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius, is a medium-sized Woodpecker. The Red-naped Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis) is a medium-sized Woodpecker. The Red-breasted Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus ruber, is a medium-sized Woodpecker. UserPolbot. -->The Cuban Green Woodpecker ( Xiphidiopicus percussus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> Dendropicos is a genus of Bird in the Picidae family UserPolbot. -->The Little Grey Woodpecker ( Dendropicos elachus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Speckle-breasted Woodpecker ( Dendropicos poecilolaemus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Abyssinian Woodpecker ( Dendropicos abyssinicus) is a species of Bird in the The Cardinal Woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens, is a widespread and common resident breeder in much of sub- Saharan Africa. UserPolbot. -->The Gabon Woodpecker ( Dendropicos gabonensis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Melancholy Woodpecker, Dendropicos lugubris, is a species of Woodpecker. UserPolbot. -->The Stierling's Woodpecker ( Dendropicos stierlingi) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Fire-bellied Woodpecker ( Thripias pyrrhogaster) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Golden-crowned Woodpecker ( Thripias xantholophus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Elliot's Woodpecker ( Mesopicos elliotii) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Grey Woodpecker, Mesopicos goertae, is a widespread and frequently common resident breeder in much of Sub-Saharan and equatorial Africa. The Grey-headed Woodpecker ( Picus canus) also known as the Grey-faced Woodpecker, is a Eurasian member of the Woodpecker family Piciformes UserPolbot. -->The Olive Woodpecker ( Mesopicos griseocephalus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Brown-backed Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos obsoletus) is a species of Bird in the Dendrocopos is a widepread Genus of Woodpeckers from Asia and Europe and Northern Africa. UserPolbot. --> The Sulawesi Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos temminckii) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Philippine Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos maculatus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Brown-capped Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos nanus) is a species of Woodpecker found in India and Sri Lanka. UserPolbot. -->The Sunda Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos moluccensis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Grey-capped Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos canicapillus) is a species of Bird in the The Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki is a species of Woodpecker found in Russia, China, Korea and Japan. UserPolbot. -->The Brown-fronted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos auriceps) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos macei) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Stripe-breasted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos atratus) is a species of Bird in the The Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopos mahrattensis or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied Woodpecker found in South Asia. The Arabian Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos dorae) is a species of Woodpecker found in the Arabian Peninsula, primarily in southwestern Saudi Arabia UserPolbot. -->The Rufous-bellied Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos hyperythrus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Darjeeling Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos darjellensis) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Crimson-breasted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos cathpharius) is a species of Bird in the The Middle Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos medius) is a European Woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocopos. The White-backed Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos leucotos) is a Eurasian Woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocopos. The Great Spotted Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos major) is a member of the Woodpecker family Picidae The Syrian Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos syriacus) is a member of the Woodpecker family the Picidae. UserPolbot. -->The White-winged Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos leucopterus) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Sind Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos assimilis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. --> The Himalayan Woodpecker ( Dendrocopos himalayensis) is a species of Bird in The American Three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis is a medium-sized Woodpecker ( family Picidae) Plate by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874 &ndash 1927 was an American Ornithologist, illustrator and artist

Tribe Malarpicini

Black-rumped Flameback, Dinopium benghalense
Black-rumped Flameback, Dinopium benghalense

Tribe Picini

Tribe Megapicini

Female Western Ghats Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus socialis
Female Western Ghats Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus socialis

References

  1. ^ Cure for a headache, Ivan R. The Gilded Flicker ( Colaptes chrysoides) is a large-sized Woodpecker (mean length of 29 cm of the Sonoran, Yuma, and eastern Colorado Desert UserPolbot. -->The Fernandina's Flicker ( Colaptes fernandinae) is a species of Bird in the Woodpecker UserPolbot. -->The Chilean Flicker ( Colaptes pitius) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Andean Flicker ( Colaptes rupicola) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Campo Flicker ( Colaptes campestris) is a species of Bird in the Picidae Campephilus is a Genus of large American Woodpeckers in the Family Picidae. UserPolbot. --> The Powerful Woodpecker ( Campephilus pollens) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Crimson-bellied Woodpecker ( Campephilus haematogaster) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The Red-necked Woodpecker ( Campephilus rubricollis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Robust Woodpecker ( Campephilus robustus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The Crimson-crested Woodpecker ( Campephilus melanoleucos) is a very large Woodpecker which is a resident breeding Bird from Panama south UserPolbot. -->The Guayaquil Woodpecker ( Campephilus gayaquilensis) is a species of Bird in the The Pale-billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus guatemalensis) is a very large Woodpecker which is a resident breeding Bird from northern Mexico UserPolbot. -->The Cream-backed Woodpecker ( Campephilus leucopogon) is a species of Bird in the The Magellanic Woodpecker ( Campephilus magellanicus) is a very large Woodpecker resident to Chile along the Andes, and to some parts of The Ivory-billed Woodpecker ( Campephilus principalis) a very large member of the Woodpecker family, Picidae, is officially listed as an In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The Imperial Woodpecker ( Campephilus imperialis) is a member of the Woodpecker family Picidae. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The flamebacks are large Woodpeckers which are resident breeders in tropical southern Asia. The White-naped Woodpecker, Chrysocolaptes festivus, is a Woodpecker which is a widespread but scarce breeder in India and Sri Lanka. The Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, also known as the Large Golden-backed Woodpecker or Malherbe's Golden-backed Woodpecker, is a The Orange-backed Woodpecker, Reinwardtipicus validus, is a Woodpecker found in Indonesia. UserPolbot. --> Blythipicus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family UserPolbot. -->The Maroon Woodpecker ( Blythipicus rubiginosus) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Bay Woodpecker ( Blythipicus pyrrhotis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. --> Gecinulus is a genus of Birds in the Picidae family UserPolbot. -->The Pale-headed Woodpecker ( Gecinulus grantia) is a species of Bird in the Picidae UserPolbot. -->The Bamboo Woodpecker ( Gecinulus viridis) is a species of Bird in the Picidae The is a Woodpecker endemic to the island of Okinawa in Japan. Schwab, British Journal of Ophthalmology. 86(8):843, August 2002.
  2. ^ Evolutionary history of woodpeckers and allies (Aves: Picidae): Placing key taxa on the phylogenetic tree, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Brett W. Benz, Mark B. Robbins and A. Townsend Peterson Volume 40, Issue 2, August 2006, Pages 389-399
  3. ^ Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny of the woodpecker genus Veniliornis (Picidae, Picinae) and related genera implies convergent evolution of plumage patterns, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, William S. Moore, Amy C. Weibel and Andrea Aguis Volume 87 Issue 4 Page 611-624, April 2006

External links

Dictionary

woodpecker

-noun

  1. One of several species of bird from the family Picidae, with a sharp beak suitable for pecking holes in wood.
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