What is the difference between a female and a male woodpecker? Great spotted woodpecker (bird). Report with photos and video

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Woodpecker - this bird belongs to the woodpecker order. It is mostly small in size. Appearance and color characteristics depend on the species. There are about 380 species of these birds around the world. On the territory of Russia, the main species found are the Great Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Green, Grey-headed, and Three-toed Woodpeckers, as well as the Common Wing and Yellow Woodpecker. Woodpeckers themselves are divided into four families. Woodpeckers live almost everywhere where there is tree and shrub vegetation. In Russia, woodpeckers are most often found in forest areas, where birds eat various tree insects.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker weighs about 100 grams and has a body length of approximately 23-26 centimeters. The color scheme consists of white and black. The bird's eyes are red, its beak is black, and its legs stand out with their dark brown color. The upper back, head and neck are predominantly blue-black. The abdomen is grayish-white in color. A distinctive feature of a male from a female is the presence of a red spot on the crown of the male individual. The tail size is not very large. It consists of hard, elastic feathers, which are a kind of support for the woodpecker when moving along the tree trunk. These birds, although they can fly perfectly, still prefer climbing. In Russia, the Great Spotted Woodpecker is found in the Caucasus, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Siberia(excluding the northern parts) and in Primorye.

During the day, the woodpecker is constantly looking for food. Located at the bottom of the trunk, the woodpecker rises upward in a spiral. Having carefully checked the trunk and large branches at a height of up to 12-16 m, the bird goes to another tree. Having found insects under the bark, the woodpecker gets to work. With powerful blows of its beak, it breaks the bark or makes a small hole. With its sticky tongue, it takes out larvae and insects (ants, bark beetles, longhorned beetles, weevils, leaf beetles). The woodpecker's tongue is usually slightly longer than its body. In autumn, birds feed on seeds, which are extracted from cones.

Between April and May, the female lays 5-7 eggs. Both the female and the male take part in incubation. After 12-13 days the chicks appear. At birth, they do not see anything and do not make any sounds. Having grown stronger, the cubs begin to scream loudly, asking for food. Their cry carries over a distance of 80-100 meters. Every 2-4 minutes, parents bring them food, in search of which they can fly 10 hectares from the nest. The chicks spend the first 3 weeks in the nest. In color, young individuals are practically no different from their parents. Woodpeckers prefer a sedentary lifestyle, but in the absence of food they migrate.

The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is one of the smallest representatives of woodpeckers. Its body is slightly larger than that of a sparrow. A distinctive feature of the color is the absence of red plumage in the undertail area. On the territory of Russia, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is found in the Caucasus, in (except for the northern taiga), spreading east to Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The woodpecker prefers to live in deciduous and mixed forests, in floodplain groves, where sunlight penetrates in sufficient quantities.

Unlike the Great Spotted Woodpecker, the Lesser Woodpecker spends no more than a minute searching for food on one tree. In winter, it looks for food on small tree branches. He cannot get seeds out of cones because he has a very small beak. Eats insects: longhorned beetle, bark beetle, carpenter ant. During the nesting period, the birds try not to attract attention to themselves, but the rest of the time they are very noisy. Birds make their nest in rotten wood. The female has 5-7 eggs, which she lays in a nest without litter. At birth, the chicks have no feathers.

Green woodpeckers are a fairly large species, with green plumage on the abdomen. Green woodpeckers live in forests or copses throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, avoiding the northern latitudes of Siberia. They place their nests in a hollow. They cover the nest with wood dust. Green woodpeckers eat insects (they are very fond of ants). Insects are caught by sharp blows of the beak on the bark of a tree or taken out with a sticky tongue. Unlike other representatives of the woodpecker genus, green woodpeckers spend less time in trees. Very often they get their food on the ground - in anthills.

The gray woodpecker is a dull green bird. Its rump is greenish-yellow in color. The head, neck and abdominal part have grayish plumage. Males have a red spot on their forehead and black feathering resembling a mustache on the sides of their heads. Brownish tones predominate in the color of the chicks; there are no “whiskers”. Woodpeckers live mainly in deciduous and mixed forests. In Russia, the gray-haired woodpecker is found from the western regions of the country to Sakhalin.

When it comes to food, the gray woodpecker prefers ants, which it gets both from under the bark of trees and from anthills. For nesting, it chooses a forest area that is well lit. Sometimes it can settle in a coniferous forest. The nests are located in hollows, which are made in trees with soft wood. The nests are located at a distance of 3-5 meters from the ground. To make the nest more comfortable, the woodpecker uses small wood chips as bedding. In early May, the female lays from 3 to 7 eggs with a white, sparkling shell. The incubation period is up to 17 days. In June–July, chicks are born. The gray-haired woodpecker leads a sedentary lifestyle, moving short distances only in winter.

The three-toed woodpecker is found throughout the forest territory of Russia, but mainly lives in the northern part of its range. The woodpecker is no larger than a thrush. The bird has a black and white plumage color scheme. Compared to other representatives of the woodpecker order, the color of the three-toed woodpecker differs in darker tones. As the name suggests, this bird has three fingers, while other woodpeckers have four. Two fingers point forward and one back. These birds move very quickly in flight. Woodpeckers prefer to settle in dense coniferous forests.

Three-toed woodpeckers eat mainly insects living in trees. The bird places its nests in mixed or coniferous forests. The woodpecker is not averse to settling in damp, even swampy places. The optimal habitat for it is in places where there are fires, where there are a large number of dead trees. The woodpecker makes its nests in hollows, which it makes at a height of 1 to 6 m. The female lays 3-5 eggs. Throughout the year, the woodpecker persistently destroys various tree pests, providing irreplaceable benefits for the coniferous forest.

Based on materials from the Great Encyclopedia of Russia

Woodpeckers belong to the order Woodpeckers and form which unites approximately thirty genera and two hundred and twenty species. Almost all woodpeckers lead either a sedentary or nomadic lifestyle.

Flights, as a rule, are made only over short distances, and they fly reluctantly. Woodpeckers do not form colonies, but almost always live alone.

Woodpeckers are small to medium sized birds. Their body length varies from eight to fifty centimeters, and weight from seven to four hundred and fifty grams. A woodpecker that lives in South America weighs seven grams - the golden-fronted woodpecker (its body length is only eight centimeters).

The largest representative of the family lives in Southeast Asia. This is a great Müllerian woodpecker. The length of his body exceeds sixty centimeters, and his weight is six hundred grams.

The distribution range of woodpeckers covers forest zones. This feature of their life was reflected in particular on the structure of the legs of these birds. Woodpeckers' legs are short. The long fingers (two of which point forward and two point back) are equipped with sharp claws.

Basically, individuals of all species of woodpeckers, when climbing trees, have support in the form of tail feathers, which are very well developed. The exception is the woodpeckers, which form a subfamily.

Woodpeckers have a strong and thin beak. It is used to chisel wood or bark in search of food or when making a nest. The beak of the whirligigs is not suitable for these purposes. It is too weak and not designed for chiselling wood.

Woodpeckers have a rough, long tongue. It serves to extract the detected insect from the passages in the wood. The diet of some woodpeckers includes termites, ants and even berries, and in winter, plant seeds.

The clutch of woodpeckers usually contains from three to seven white eggs with a shiny surface. The incubation period varies from ten to twelve days. Both the female and the male take part in incubation. The chicks are born helpless and naked.

The distribution range of woodpeckers is huge. These birds are distributed almost everywhere. They cannot be found except in the polar regions, in Madagascar, New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and on some oceanic islands. In Russia you can meet representatives of fourteen species of the woodpecker family. Of these, the most common are the small spotted woodpecker, the great spotted woodpecker, the three-toed gray woodpecker, the green woodpecker, as well as the wryneck and yellow woodpecker. Woodpeckers inhabit wooded areas. Often these birds are attached specifically to forests. Here they live, making their home in the trees, and here they feed. Biological diversity is ensured, among other things, by climatic conditions - abundance is promoted, for example, by high relative humidity. The fact is that in humid air there are more trees susceptible to rotting and fungal infection. This creates ideal conditions for the existence of insects. And the latter are already included in the diet of woodpeckers. There are some species of woodpeckers that have been able to adapt to living in desert conditions. These are, for example, the Andean Avocet-billed Woodpecker, found in South America, and the South African Ground Woodpecker, found in Africa. The green woodpecker finds its food almost exclusively on the ground.

Woodpeckers nest in hollows. This applies to all members of the family. An interesting fact is that some individuals hollow out hollows on their own (they belong to most species of the family), while others do not. For example, whirligigs are simply not able to hollow out a hollow themselves. However, these birds are able to deepen or expand an existing hollow. As a rule, it takes about two weeks to build and equip one hollow. But the cockade, found in the southeastern United States, can build one hollow for several years.

The ivory-billed woodpecker is a native of North America. Individuals of the ivory-billed woodpecker are found in the southeast of this continent. Representatives of the species have colonized vast areas of swampy forests. The coloring is strict. Black is the primary plumage color of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Wide white stripes are present on the sides of the neck (starting from the back of the head). These stripes connect to each other on the back. Almost the entire wing of the ivory-billed woodpecker is also white. Representatives of this species are endowed with a beautiful crest. In the female it is black, and in the male it is bright red. The ivory-billed woodpecker has a gray beak, which is how this woodpecker got its name. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is large. The length of its body exceeds half a meter. These woodpeckers live in pairs. It is possible that established pairs last throughout life. The diet of ivory-billed woodpeckers typically includes pupae, larvae, and adults of beetles; at the end of summer and autumn they diversify it with fruits and berries of wild trees.

The breeding season of ivory-billed woodpeckers is in March. These birds are extremely careful. During the nesting period, they look for the most secluded corners of the forest. A hollow is constructed only in the trunk of a living tree. As a rule, it is oak. The hollow is located at a significant height. Often the entrance to a hollow is under a branch or large bough. This is necessary in order to protect the hollow from water flowing into it in rainy weather. Both the male and the female hollow out the hollow. The number of eggs in a clutch varies from five to seven. They have a pure white surface. The eggs are placed directly at the bottom of the hollow. In the south of the distribution range of ivory-billed woodpeckers, chicks hatch twice per season. In the northern regions of their distribution range, woodpeckers have only one clutch per season.

The habits of the ivory-billed woodpecker are special. These birds have an unusually beautiful undulating flight, and during the flight from one tree to another, the ivory-billed woodpecker first rises to the very top of the tree and then flies down. At the same time, he describes a smooth arc (does not flap his wings). The Ivory-billed Woodpecker rarely travels long distances. To a much greater extent, he prefers climbing tree branches and trunks. Often jumps from one tree to another.

The voice of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker can be heard within a radius of one kilometer. Ivory-billed woodpeckers produce the three-syllable, clear, pleasant and ringing cry “pat-pat-pat” so often that it is sometimes difficult to answer the question whether these birds are silent for at least a minute throughout the day.

Woodpeckers' careful inspection of trunks is important for searching for food. These birds begin their search for food from the bottom of the tree. The woodpecker moves upward in a spiral, inspecting not only the trunk, but also large branches. Woodpeckers poke holes and cracks in the bark, where they find insects. Woodpeckers are very strong birds. They can beat off a sliver twenty centimeters long with just one blow of their beak. When woodpeckers find a withered tree, they knock down a couple of square meters of the surface of its trunk in just a couple of hours.

The beauty of ivory-billed woodpeckers is the reason for their destruction. People kill these birds for their unusual heads. Travelers often crave the head of this woodpecker as a souvenir. For them, this is a kind of souvenir, reminiscent of those places where the ivory-billed woodpecker lives on marshy soils. These days, the ivory-billed woodpecker has become a rare bird. Moreover, it has already disappeared from a significant part of its distribution area.

The acorn woodpecker is thrifty. Its reserves are huge. In autumn, acorn woodpeckers gouge thousands of small holes in the trunks and branches of pines, eucalyptus, and oaks. They serve as a place for acorns. Sometimes woodpeckers even make similar cells in telegraph poles. Moreover, the size of woodpecker storerooms is amazing. For example, in one of the forests in California, approximately twenty thousand acorns were counted, which were driven into the bark of a sycamore tree by an acorn woodpecker. Moreover, approximately fifty thousand acorns were found in the bark of one pine tree.

Acorn woodpeckers live in separate groups. Each group includes from three to twelve woodpeckers and occupies a rather large territory. Outsiders are expelled from the occupied territory, and each member of the group participates in defense. The whole group prepares acorns together and also uses the prepared supplies together, if necessary. With the onset of spring, the folded group does not break up into separate pairs. One common nest is established, and all females lay eggs in it. Incubation of the clutch also occurs collectively, as does the feeding of the offspring that are born. A monogamous lifestyle among acorn woodpeckers is rare and almost always temporary. These are the instincts.

The green woodpecker is distinguished by its beauty. The wings and dorsal side of the body are yellowish, the flight feathers are brown, and the rump is shiny yellow. The tail is brownish-black in color. It is decorated with transverse grayish stripes. The back of the head and top of the head are reddish, while the cheeks and area around the eyes are black. The ventral side of the green woodpecker's body is pale green. This color varies with dark streaks. The body shape of the green woodpecker is somewhat similar to that of the great spotted woodpecker. However, the size of the green woodpecker is somewhat larger. The body length of the green woodpecker varies from thirty-five to thirty-seven centimeters, and the weight reaches two hundred and fifty grams.

The green woodpecker is an inhabitant of mixed and deciduous European forests. It is found east of the Volga, as well as in the Caucasus and Western Asia. The green woodpecker prefers to develop territories in which forests are replaced by open spaces, and open spaces by forests. It most readily settles in forests rich in trees of different ages. The diet of these birds includes a variety of insects, but the most preferred food is ants. The latter woodpeckers are ready to eat in huge quantities. Green woodpeckers, like other woodpeckers, look for insects on tree trunks, but to catch ants, the green woodpecker is forced to go down to the ground (which, in principle, it does not without hunting). Inside the discovered anthills, woodpeckers make deep passages. In a similar way, green woodpeckers search for the pupae of these insects.

Green woodpeckers are cautious birds. Formed pairs of individuals establish hollows at a distance from each other. In this regard, meeting representatives of this species is not an easy task. Green woodpeckers, however, give away their location during the nesting period when they begin to emit loud cries. Moreover, both the male and the female scream throughout the day in the same order. Green woodpeckers hollow out hollows mainly in old and decaying trees. These can be willows, sedges, and aspens. Eggs are laid in May. One clutch contains from five to nine shiny white eggs. Both parents participate in incubating the eggs and subsequently feeding the chicks.

The ground woodpecker is a medium-sized bird. The body length of the ground woodpecker is approximately twenty-five centimeters. The ground woodpecker has a rather modest plumage color - it is predominantly olive-brown. The head of the ground woodpecker is gray.

The ground woodpecker is an inhabitant of South American territories. He prefers to stick to treeless areas. The ground woodpecker often inhabits the slopes of ravines, high river banks or outcrops of mountain slopes. This kind of terrain is unusual for most members of the family. The ground woodpecker managed to adapt to such living conditions as much as possible. Representatives of this species can occasionally be seen in thickets of dense bushes. Ground woodpeckers move along the ground by jumping, which is where the name of the species comes from - these woodpeckers do not chisel the bark and wood of trees, but they are able to make passages on the slopes of hills, etc. They need passages both for arranging their homes and in searching food. The length of the dwelling of the ground woodpecker (where the offspring are born) reaches approximately one meter - in appearance it looks like a hole, which at the end forms a small cave. Woodpeckers, as a rule, cover the bottom of this cave with scraps of animal fur. The clutch of woodpeckers contains from three to five eggs. The eggs are pure white. For a significant part of their lives, representatives of this species dig in the ground in order to find food. Woodpeckers can also find food on the surface of the ground. Their diet includes insect larvae and adults; in addition, spiders and worms diversify their diet.

The golden woodpecker is endowed with bright colors. The coloring of this woodpecker is quite bright and beautiful. The dorsal side of the body of this small bird (the body length of the woodpecker is approximately twenty-seven centimeters) has a clay-brown color, which is varied by transverse streaks of black and a white rump. The ventral side of the golden woodpecker's body is white, with black spots standing out against it. A red stripe outlines the gray head of a golden woodpecker. The trunks of the tail and flight feathers are golden in color. When flying, representatives of this species flap their wings quite often. The distribution range of the golden woodpecker covers the lowland areas of the North American continent. The meat of the golden woodpecker is highly valued by hunters.

The red-headed woodpecker is a typical inhabitant of the North American continent. The red-headed woodpecker is relatively small in size - its body length reaches only twenty-three centimeters. This woodpecker has a dense build. His neck is short and his head is large. In North America, red-headed woodpeckers try to stick to sparse forests. These birds often fly to the edges of the forest to feed. Sometimes these woodpeckers fly into populated areas. In spring, red-headed woodpeckers rarely build a new hollow. Basically, these birds find existing hollows, clear, “reconstruct” and use them. If several hollows are hollowed out on one tree, then only one of them is reoccupied. Red-headed woodpeckers hollow out hollows only in old, withered trees, while they cannot build a nest for themselves in healthy trees.

The red-headed woodpecker has a mischievous disposition. These birds are very restless. They can, for example, knock with their beaks on the roofs of residential buildings and climb on their windows. Red-headed woodpeckers often hide when a person approaches and then reveal themselves by drumming on the area where they are sitting. Thus, they seem to laugh at the person who did not immediately notice their presence. Red-headed woodpeckers can also cause trouble in human economic life. Huge flocks of these woodpeckers devastate orchards, eat berries, etc. These birds deal with apples in a very interesting way - thrusting their beaks into the fruit with all their might, they tear it off. With this inconvenient burden, the red-headed woodpecker flies up to the nearest fence, where, after breaking it into pieces, it eats it. Red-headed woodpeckers cause great damage to grain fields. These birds not only eat grains, they also trample the ears into the ground or simply break them.

Red-headed woodpeckers are capable of predation. These birds do not mind drinking eggs they find in the nests of small birds. Having satisfied their hunger, individuals of this species gather in small flocks. At this time, they begin hunting for insects. Sitting on branches, they look out for flying insects, and then, with the help of turns and pirouettes, grab them. This scene is very interesting to watch. The diet of these woodpeckers includes insects, berries and fruits, as well as grains and seeds of various plants.

The copper woodpecker is an inhabitant of North America. The distribution area covers the semi-desert western regions of the continent. The copper-headed woodpecker's lifestyle is somewhat identical to that of the golden woodpecker (the two species are somewhat similar in appearance). An important distinguishing feature of the copper woodpecker is its ability to prepare food. This feature is extremely important for the harsh conditions for birds where the copper woodpecker lives. The area, which is lifeless throughout almost the entire year, where the copper woodpecker lives, has a negative impression on any traveler who finds himself here, for whom an encounter with copper woodpeckers can be very joyful and positive. In the dry stems of agaves (small holes are made in the lower part of the stem, and then higher), representatives of this species create unique storerooms - here birds hide acorns. If you split the stem of an agave downwards, you will find that it is completely full of acorns, which the woodpecker is forced to spend a lot of energy stocking. However, time and effort are needed not only to build such warehouses, but also to find the acorns themselves. It is possible to get them only from the slopes of the nearest mountains, so copper woodpeckers are forced to make kilometer-long flights. During the dry season, copper woodpeckers can be seen in places where agaves form thickets - these are the warehouses of these woodpeckers. During the rainy season, copper woodpeckers disperse into the valleys - here they find insects, mainly ants.

The sharp-winged woodpecker is a small bird. Its size does not exceed the size of this woodpecker and is endowed with variegated plumage. Its color is variegated. A distinctive feature of representatives of this species is the presence of sharp wings. The distribution range of these woodpeckers covers the territories of Sakhalin, the Ussuri Territory, the Japanese and southern Kuril Islands, the Korean Peninsula, as well as the northeastern provinces of China. During the nesting period, sharp-winged woodpeckers try to stick to plantings of soft tree species. These can be poplars, lindens, velvets, etc. In such trees it is easier for woodpeckers to hollow out a hollow for themselves or to find an existing one. Laying occurs in May. The rest of the time, representatives of this species can be found in flocks of tits. Together with these birds, sharp-winged woodpeckers search for insects, carefully examining the surface of bushes and trees.

The three-toed woodpecker is an unusual bird. It is very beautiful and colorfully colored. Black streaks adorn the white back of the three-toed woodpecker. The tail is black, edged with white stripes. The female three-toed woodpecker has a gray crown, while the male has a yellow crown. A distinctive feature of individuals of this species is the absence of one toe. Three-toed woodpeckers have only one toe facing backwards and two toes facing forwards. The three-toed woodpecker is small in size. The length of the wing of an individual varies from twelve to thirteen centimeters. The distribution range of these woodpeckers covers the territories of Eastern and Central Europe, Siberia, and North America. Three-toed woodpeckers prefer to inhabit dense coniferous forests. In the southern regions of their distribution range they live in mountain forests.

The breeding season for three-toed woodpeckers begins early. It starts in February and continues until May. At this time, the males actively knock on dry branches with their beaks, scream and chirp protractedly. Three-toed woodpeckers build hollows in spruce and larches (the latter option is preferable for these birds), most often these are burnt or rotting trees. Sometimes you can find the hollow of a three-toed woodpecker even in tree stumps. Representatives of this species, as a rule, construct a hollow at a height of one to six meters. The clutch consists of three to six white eggs. For some time after the chicks fly out of the nest, they wander through the forest with their parents. However, the brood soon disintegrates.

The three-toed woodpecker is a voracious bird. And very useful for the forest. During one winter day, this bird is able to tear off the bark from a spruce tree that is infected with bark beetles, and the number of the latter larvae reaches approximately ten thousand! But even if the three-toed woodpecker cannot cope with so much food in a day, the bark beetle larvae will still die in the cold.

The coloration of different individuals of the red-headed woodpecker varies. The main tone of the plumage of some individuals of this species is indeed red or rusty-red. Other individuals may be dark chestnut or brown in color. The tail and wings of the red-headed woodpecker have black transverse stripes. The plumage of representatives of this species is covered with a sticky substance - this is the juice of ants crushed by red-headed woodpeckers. The plumage of red-headed woodpeckers is saturated with the smell of formic acid. The red-headed woodpecker is a small bird - its body length is approximately twenty-five centimeters. Another interesting feature is the underdevelopment of the thumb. Because of this, the paws of the red-headed woodpecker at first glance appear to be three-toed.

The red-headed woodpecker builds unique nests. Or rather, they don’t build them at all. Red-headed woodpeckers make their nest in an anthill. True, anthills are also unusual - they are built by large ants directly in the crowns of trees at a height of two to twenty meters from the surface of the earth. But the most surprising thing is that the ants do not touch the female incubating the eggs and the eggs themselves, although the female red-headed woodpecker easily pecks off the ant pupae. The red-headed woodpecker's clutch consists of three eggs. At first, the eggs have a white surface, but constant contact with formic acid does its job, and after some time the surface of the eggs becomes brownish.

The Great Spotted Woodpecker has variegated plumage. This is truly a very beautiful bird. The main plumage colors are black and white. A distinctive feature of the female from the male is the absence of a red spot on the crown of the head.

Woodpeckers are a large group of birds known for their unique ability to chisel trees. All of them belong to the woodpecker family of the same name, which also includes the whirligigs. In addition to them, relatives of woodpeckers are barnacles, honeyguides and toucans. There are over 200 species of woodpeckers in the world.

Male spotted-breasted woodpecker (Colaptes punctigula).

On average, the body length of most species is 25 cm and the weight is 100 g, but there are exceptions to this rule. Thus, the largest species, the American royal woodpecker, had a length of almost 60 cm and weighed 600 g. Now this species is considered extinct and the role of the largest has passed to the great Müllerian woodpecker, 50 cm long and weighing 500 g. The smallest species, the golden-fronted woodpecker, The size is close to that of a hummingbird, its length is only 8 cm and its weight is 7 g! The body of woodpeckers seems elongated due to a medium-length tail and a head that continues the line of the body. The beak of woodpeckers is chisel-shaped, sharp and durable. The nostrils are protected inside by bristles that prevent chips from entering the respiratory tract while chiselling wood. The skull of woodpeckers has a porous structure that protects the brain of these birds from concussion. The wings of woodpeckers are medium long and sharp, which allows them to easily maneuver between trees. The feet are short, four-toed, with two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing back (the exception is the three-toed woodpecker). This structure of the paws allows birds to stay on vertical surfaces and move along them.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Campephilus robustus).

The plumage of woodpeckers is rigid, tightly fitting to the body, especially the rigid and springy rods of the tail feathers. Woodpeckers are colored very differently, in most cases the upper part of their body is monochromatic black or variegated with a checkerboard black and white pattern, the lower part is lighter (white, gray), and there is a red cap on the head. But this general scheme can have many variations, some species may have large areas of gold, green, white. Sexual dimorphism is manifested in brighter areas of the plumage in males (undertail, cap, etc.), in females they are colored to match the body.

The white woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus), native to the Andes, has an atypical coloration without streaks for these birds.

Woodpeckers are cosmopolitan, they are found all over the world, the only continent not inhabited by them is Antarctica. One way or another, woodpeckers are associated with arboreal vegetation, therefore they live mainly in forests. They inhabit all types of forests: taiga, mixed, broad-leaved, dry and humid tropical forests. But even in the complete absence of trees, woodpeckers can settle in plants that replace them, for example... in huge cacti. Finally, ground and pampass woodpeckers do without tall plants at all; these species settle in deserts and steppes overgrown with grass. Thus, woodpeckers inhabit all types of landscapes. Most of these birds are sedentary, but if the cone harvest fails, taiga species can migrate, and golden woodpeckers in the northern parts of their range are true migratory birds.

Golden woodpecker (Colaptes auratus).

They live alone, during the nesting period they live in pairs, only acorn woodpeckers live in flocks. The voices of woodpeckers are varied, but most species do not like to scream; their means of communication is drumming, knocked out with their beaks. The shot can have a different duration and even tonality depending on what kind of wood, wet or damp, the woodpecker is knocking on. The shot serves both to mark the boundaries of the area and to attract a partner; during the mating season, the shot is heard especially often in the forest. Some birds have learned to use metal sheathing of poles and cans for their needs. The sound from a metal object is especially loud, so woodpeckers use such finds willingly. When a woodpecker knocks on a tree, the maximum frequency of strikes can reach 6-7 per second.

Woodpeckers fly well, their flight is fast, with frequent flapping of their wings, but they resort to it reluctantly. Woodpeckers prefer to flutter between trees and spend most of their time crawling along trunks. The ability to climb is well developed in most species; woodpeckers can sit on horizontal branches, climb up and down trunks, and hang upside down on thin branches. Only woodpeckers living in open spaces either do not know how to climb trunks, or do it poorly, because they do not have a hard tail that would serve as support for them. Woodpeckers move along the trunk in short leaps; in case of danger, they do not fly away, but first hide from the enemy on the back side of the tree and peek furtively from behind it. Only if the predator gets very close does the woodpecker fly away.

Golden woodpecker in flight. Only by seeing the open wings can one understand why this species was called golden.

Woodpeckers feed on insects, which they search for in different ways. Some species inspect trees exclusively; they collect insects from the surface of trunks, pull them out of cracks in the bark, and take out bark beetle larvae from the depths of the wood. To do this, the woodpecker crushes the trunk and makes a small feeding hole in it; he removes the larva by sticking his long tongue into the hole. Woodpeckers have a narrow tongue, and its extended length is twice the length of its beak. In addition, the tongue is covered with tiny spines, with their help the woodpecker picks up the larva. How does a woodpecker know where the larva is hiding in the thickness of the tree? He has a very sensitive hearing; the bird hears the slightest creak made by the pest’s mandibles. Some species of woodpeckers, in addition to trees, willingly descend to the ground and inspect grass, stumps, forest litter, and anthills. Finally, woodpeckers of open spaces look for food exclusively on the ground and in its thickness.

The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) often searches the ground for ants and worms. This bird decided to eat an apple in the garden and stuck out its tongue, the length of which was twice the length of its beak.

In addition to various beetles, caterpillars, larvae, butterflies, ants, and worms, woodpeckers can also include plant foods in their diet. They play a particularly important role in the life of northern species, for which it is more difficult to find hidden insects in winter. Thus, great spotted and black woodpeckers willingly eat nuts, seeds of pine and spruce; to do this, they first pick the fruit, and then clamp it in the fork of the branches and peel it.

A cactus woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) explores a giant agave inflorescence in search of nectar and small insects.

The acorn woodpecker lives in North America, which not only feeds on acorns, but also prepares food for the winter. Acorn woodpeckers approach this issue thoroughly. In the fall, they pick up oak fruits and hide them in tiny holes hollowed out in the trunk. The diameter of the hole exactly matches the size of the acorn, so the fruit sits so tightly in it that only the woodpecker himself can pull it out with his sharp beak. In one such pantry, up to 50 thousand acorns can be stored at a distance of several centimeters from each other! Often such warehouses are found in wooden poles of power lines. Several species of suckling woodpeckers specialize in feeding exclusively on tree sap. They make shallow holes in the bark and drink the sap that flows out.

A pair of acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) are working on a pantry. The male has a red cap on his head, the female has a completely black head.

Woodpeckers breed 1-2 times a year. These are monogamous birds, remaining faithful to their partner for one season. In species of the temperate zone, the breeding season begins in February-April. Males attract females with ringing drumming, and the resulting pair zealously defends their nesting site from neighbors. Woodpeckers settle in hollows, which they most often hollow out themselves. Woodpeckers rarely use other people's nests, but they change their own every year. Thus, in the forest, these birds have an excess of unused “housing”, which is readily inhabited by other bird species. Despite their strong beak, woodpeckers do not bother themselves with wasted efforts and prefer to peck at trees with soft wood (aspen, alder, birch, pine). The depth of the nest sometimes reaches 40-60 cm, sawdust serves as bedding. It takes a pair of woodpeckers a week to create a full-fledged nest, but cockaded woodpeckers from North America can refine it for several years.

A male woodpecker made a hollow in a birch tree, and a female flew in to inspect it. In woodpeckers, the male does most of the work in arranging the nest.

Woodpeckers that live in deserts peck at tree-like cereus cacti. The wound in the trunk dries up, its walls harden and a real hollow forms in the cactus trunk. Due to the lack of vegetation, ground woodpeckers dig holes in the ground up to 1 m long and line them with animal hair.

A cactus woodpecker hollows out a hollow in the trunk of a cereus.

But the most amazing nests are those of the red-headed woodpecker. It settles in trees, but not in hollows, but in spherical nests of fire ants. The woodpecker makes a hole in the nest, and the female climbs inside and lays eggs. During incubation, she, without leaving the nest, immediately feeds on ant larvae. This phenomenon is all the more mysterious when you consider that fire ants are extremely aggressive, voracious and dangerous. In the jungle, even large animals flee from them; ants never bite a female woodpecker in the nest.

A red-headed woodpecker (Micropternus brachyurus) peers out of a fire ant nest.

The clutch of these birds contains from 2-5 to 7-9 white eggs. Incubation lasts about 12-18 days. Woodpecker chicks are born tiny, blind, and naked. parents feed them for 3-5 weeks. Grown-up chicks stick their heads out of the hollow and loudly demand food; they are very gluttonous and while feeding their offspring, a pair of woodpeckers destroys a countless number of larvae. Fledged chicks fly out of the nest and roam with the adults. Such family groups can number 5-12 individuals and usually persist until autumn, in some species almost until spring. The lifespan of woodpeckers varies from 7-12 years for small and medium-sized species to 30 for the largest ones.

Eggs and chicks of the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) in a half-hollow.

In nature, woodpeckers have plenty of enemies, since these birds have no means of defense. They are hunted by goshawks, owls, eagle owls, owls, falcons; nests can be destroyed by magpies, crows, snakes, squirrels, and monitor lizards (in the tropics). The golden woodpecker is considered game; its meat is highly valued by North American hunters; other species are of no gastronomic interest.

A red-headed woodpecker flies up to a nest with food.

Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major).

Woodpeckers are widespread in Eurasia and North Africa. These birds are loud, noisy and noticeable due to their bright, motley plumage, made in black and white with a bright red cap at the back of the head.

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds that are primarily arboreal. Their long, straight, cone-shaped beak allows them to extract insects directly from under the bark of trees. The woodpecker's skull is large and strong. The tail is wedge-shaped, made of hard feathers, which allows it to be used as a support. The plumage of all species is motley, black and white, with red or yellow markings on the head and other parts of the body.

What do they eat?

Depending on the season and habitat, woodpeckers prefer animal or plant food.

In spring and summer, woodpeckers eat large quantities of various insects and larvae. Their food includes beetles (longhorned beetles, bark beetles, golden beetles, horn beetles, leaf beetles, ladybugs, weevils, ground beetles), caterpillars and adult butterflies, horntails, and aphids. Woodpeckers readily feed on ants; ornithologists found from 300 to 500 of these insects in the stomachs of individual individuals. Woodpeckers also eat crustaceans and mollusks.

Woodpeckers obtain such food on tree trunks or on the ground. The woodpecker sits on the trunk from below and climbs up in a spiral, inspects the cracks along the way and launches its long tongue (about 4 cm) into them. When insects are detected, the woodpecker breaks the bark with its beak or makes a funnel from which it takes the prey to the surface. From a height of 12 to 16 m, the woodpecker flies to the next tree. The bird rarely pecks at healthy trees and chooses those that are withered or damaged by pests. On the ground, woodpeckers destroy anthills.

In winter, woodpeckers often move closer to human habitation, where they feed on bird feeders or look for food of anthropogenic origin in garbage dumps. Sometimes they can feed on carrion or destroy the nests of songbirds, eating eggs and chicks.

During this period, birds also switch to plant foods - seeds of coniferous trees, nuts and seeds of hazel, beech, oak, hornbeam, almonds, and acorns. Woodpeckers peck out the seeds and feed on the pulp of gooseberries, currants, cherries, plums, raspberries, junipers, buckthorns and ash. In spring, birds can break through the bark of trees and drink the sap.

Where do they live?

In Africa, woodpeckers are common in Algeria and Tunisia, Morocco and the Canary Islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

In Europe they live almost everywhere, except for Ireland, Scandinavia and the Russian Arctic. In the Balkans and Asia Minor they are found in the mountains. A large population lives in the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and northern Iran in areas near the Caspian Sea.

The habitats of woodpeckers are very diverse: from the northern taiga to forest plantations, gardens and parks. Birds nest up to the upper border of the forest: on average up to 2000 m above sea level. In all regions of their habitat, woodpeckers are sedentary birds, and migrate only in case of food shortage.

Common types

A small bird with a long, straight beak. Body length is from 14 to 16 cm. Body weight ranges from 20 to 30 g. The plumage is motley, black and white above and whitish-gray below. At the bottom of the back there is a light diamond-shaped spot. The forehead and crown are brownish-gray, the back of the head is black. The male has red feathers on the back of his head. Dark “whiskers” begin from the beak. The cheeks and throat are white. The back is dark. The belly is whitish-gray with dark streaks. The iris is red-brown or red, the legs and beak are dark gray. Juveniles are darker and motley. Females do not have red feathers on the back of their heads, but otherwise they do not differ from the male.

The species is distributed in eastern and southeastern Asia.

A medium-sized woodpecker that lives in the foothills and lower belt of the Himalayas (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal).

The body length reaches 20 cm, weight from 37 to 50 g. The beak is of medium length, chisel-like, with a wide base. The plumage on the back and wings is motley, black and white, the belly is light, the “cap” is colorful. The forehead is yellowish-brown in both males and females. But the male has a lemon-yellow crown and the back of the head is red, while the female has both the crown and the back of the head yellow. The cheeks and chin are white with a black mustache. The chest and belly are white with dark streaks.

The species' habitat includes countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Medium sized woodpecker. The plumage on the back is black with white transverse stripes. The breast is light brown. Neck with black stripes on each side. Males have a red head with an orange forehead, females have a black head.

A small bird with a dense build, a resident of Indochina. Body length up to 22 cm, weight from 42 to 52 g. The back and wings are black with a white spotted pattern. The neck is whitish, the breast and belly are yellowish-ochre in color with thin longitudinal black streaks. The undertail is red. The sides of the head are white with a black stripe of “whiskers”. The male has a bright red cap of feathers running from his forehead to the back of his head. The female's is black.

The species is widespread in Hindustan and Indochina. This is a small bird with a long straight beak. Body length is about 18 cm, weight from 28 to 46 g. The plumage in the forehead and crown is golden yellow. The nape of the male is bright red, while that of the female is brownish-ochre. The “whiskers” are weakly expressed. The cheeks, chin and throat are white with brown spots. The body at the top is black or black-brown with white spots and streaks, the lower back is white. The belly is white with an orange-red spot in the center. Young birds are feathered brown.

Body length from 20 to 25 cm, weight from 53 to 74 g. The beak is long. The male's back is black with white transverse stripes, his belly is reddish-chestnut. The female has a brown back. Males have a shiny red cap on their heads, while females have a black cap with white spots. The legs are gray, the iris is red.

The habitat begins in the Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam. The bird is also found in China, Vietnam and Thailand.

Body length is about 22 cm, weight from 50 to 85 g. The head is rounded, the beak is short, dark gray. The upperparts are black with white streaks on the wings. The belly and sides are yellowish with dark longitudinal streaks. The iris is red-brown, the paws are gray. The “whiskers” are weakly expressed. There is a bright red cap on the crown. Young birds are dull.

The species nests in temperate and southern latitudes of Europe, as well as in Western Asia.

Body length is from 26 to 31 cm, wingspan is 44-49 cm, body weight is from 100 to 130 g. The male has a white forehead and sides of the head, a red “cap” with white spots, the back of the head and back are black. The mustache is black. The belly is white, with an ocher coating; sides with dark longitudinal streaks. The undertail is pink. The female has a black cap on her head.

The bird lives in the south of Eurasia.

Body length is from 22 to 27 cm, wingspan is 42-47 cm, weight is from 60 to 100 g. The plumage is dominated by black and white tones, the undertail is bright red. The top of the head, back and rump are black. The forehead, cheeks, shoulders and tummy are brownish-white. The tail is black. The iris is brown or red, the beak is black, the legs are dark brown.

The species is found in Africa, Europe and Asia Minor.

The bird's habitat covers Asia, Central and Eastern Europe.

Body length up to 23 cm, weight from 55 to 80 g. The top of the head is black, the forehead, sides of the head and cheeks are white. The male has a bright red stripe on the back of his head; the female does not have it. The "whiskers" are well developed. The throat, neck and belly are off-white. The undertail is red. The iris is red. The beak is dark gray. Paws are gray.

The species is found in Central Asia, Dzungaria and Kashgaria.

Body length from 22 to 24 cm, weight about 70 g. Beak of medium length, straight. There are large white spots on the shoulder blades and wings, the belly and undertail are bright red. The forehead is white.

Male and female: main differences

Sexual dimorphism in woodpeckers manifests itself in slight variations in the color of the plumage of males and females. The most common option: males have a red crown and nape, and females have a black or yellow color.

Reproduction

Woodpeckers are monogamous birds that begin breeding at the end of the first year of life.

The mating season begins at the end of February and lasts until mid-May, when the birds begin to build nests. Showing males scream aggressively and drum on branches. Females also make sounds and tap. Partners may chase each other and circle trees in characteristic flights.

After forming a pair, woodpeckers show aggression towards other birds, especially lekking ones.

The male chooses a tree for the nest and hollows it out for about two weeks. The hollow is located at a height of up to 8 m, its depth is from 25 to 35 cm, the diameter is about 12 cm. The entrance is round or oval from 4.5 to 6 cm in diameter.

At the end of April or beginning of May, the female lays a clutch of 4 to 8 white eggs. Both partners incubate for 12-13 days, but the male spends more time in the nest. The chicks are born naked, blind and helpless. They are fed by both parents, making up to 300 feedings per day. The chicks remain in the nest for 20 to 23 days, after which they begin to fly. The brood breaks up, but the chicks stay near the nest for another 15-20 days.

The average lifespan of woodpeckers is 9 years.

Voice

Woodpeckers are noisy birds. Their voices can be heard during the mating season, in disputes over territory, and in case of fright. The most common sound is a sharp and abrupt “kick”. An excited bird makes it quickly, many times in a row, which is heard as “ki-ki-ki” or “kr-kr-kr”. From mid-January to the end of June, the calls of the woodpecker are accompanied by “drum roll” - a trill from the vibration of branches under the rapid blows of the bird’s beak. With its help, woodpeckers also communicate with each other. In good weather, the shot can be heard within a radius of 1.5 km from the bird.

• The woodpecker is a noticeable and noisy bird, often lives next to humans and feeds on food waste. But at the same time, the bird prefers to spend time alone; even during the nesting period, males and females often forage for food at different ends of the common territory.
• Woodpeckers use empty cans or pieces of iron as drums to make the drumming sound over long distances - in this way they call other woodpeckers to come to them.

Research project for elementary school students “Forest bird - woodpecker”

Filippovskaya Anastasia, 3rd grade student, MKOU "Nikolaevskaya Secondary School" of Kurchatovsky district, Kursk region.
Supervisor: Lisunova Olga Mikhailovna, primary school teacher of the Municipal Municipal Educational Institution “Nikolaevskaya Secondary School” of the Kurchatovsky district of the Kursk region.
Description: This work talks about the types of woodpeckers, what they eat, and riddles about woodpeckers.
Purpose: The material will be useful for children of primary school age.
Target: develop a caring attitude towards birds.
Tasks:
1. Select and study literature about the life of birds.
a) appearance;
b) habitat;
c) what do woodpeckers eat?
Find out what types of woodpeckers there are?
Determine the meaning of woodpecker in nature.
Everyone has probably seen a woodpecker. And if you haven’t seen it, you’ve certainly heard it. The sound of a woodpecker can be heard in almost any forest.
This bird has beautiful motley plumage: the upper body is black, there are white spots on the head and neck, white stripes on the folded wings, and the undertail and crown are red. The beak is strong and sharp, their legs are short, strong, sharp claws. Woodpeckers live where there are trees. The woodpecker is an omnivorous bird. In the warm season, their main food is a variety of insects. Woodpeckers eat harmful insects that spoil wood, caterpillars, and ants.
In winter, the main food is seeds of trees, often conifers.
Woodpeckers are often called a forest orderly or a forest doctor. They remove insects and their larvae from under the bark, thereby saving trees from damage and death.
There is a huge variety of woodpecker species in nature.

Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Green woodpecker.

Ground woodpecker.

Three-toed woodpecker.

Look how carefully the woodpecker examines the tree when looking for food. It sits on the trunk, leans on its hard tail and gradually climbs up in jumps, tapping its beak on the tree. No pest beetle or its larva can hide from the forest doctor. He will unmistakably determine the place where they are hiding and will easily take them out from under the bark with his sticky beak.
In the spring, a family of woodpeckers chooses a tree with soft wood and hollows out a hollow in it. The female lays 5-7 white eggs. Both parents hatch them. The chicks hatch after 2 weeks and immediately require food. Every 2-4 minutes for 3 weeks, the father and mother carry them larvae, weevils, and leaf beetles. The parents themselves eat the same food.
Guess the riddles.
He is an excellent worker
But not a painter, but a carpenter.
Knock-knock-knock he's building a house
With a small one window.
Answer: woodpecker.
He is wearing a bright red beret,
In a black satin jacket.
Doesn't chatter, doesn't growl.
Everything is knocking, knocking, knocking.
Answer: woodpecker.
In the forest to the chirping and whistling
The forest telegraph operator knocks:
“Great, blackbird buddy!”
And signs... (woodpecker)
Proverbs.
A woodpecker without a nose is like a wolf without legs.
A person recognizes the kindness of a person, and a woodpecker recognizes the softness of a tree.
Poem.
Woodpecker was building a new house
To my son.
He worked a long day,
Evening and night.
Hollowed a tree with his beak
I woke up all the neighbors.
Conclusion The woodpecker is a forest orderly, he is a great worker and is very useful to nature. A person must protect birds and take care of them. Every year, by hollowing out a new hollow, the woodpecker creates a home for other birds.
Literature:
Encyclopedia Pochemuchki. Animals/m. Swallowtail 2012 The first school encyclopedia animal world/m. Rosman 2008