Robust woodpecker

Campephilus robustus

Photo by Ricardo Gentil (Flickr)

Common name:
robust woodpecker (en); pica-pau-rei (pt); pic robuste (fr); carpintero grande (es); scharlachkopfspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in south-eastern Brazil, from southern Bahía and Goiás to northern Rio Grande do Sul, and also in eastern Paraguay and marginally into north-eastern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 31-37 cm long and weigh 230-295 g.

Habitat:
The robust woodpecker is found in moist tropical forests, especially in Araucaria forests. They may occur in disturbed forests where large trees are available. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on wood-boring insect larvae and beetles, and also some seeds and berries.

Breeding:
Robust woodpeckers breed in October-December. They nest in a large cavity excavates by both sexes on a large tree. The female lays 2-4 white eggs which are incubated by both parents for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 26-28 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon. It is suspected to have increased its range into Rio Grande do Sul.

Common flameback

Dinopium javanense

Photo by James Eaton (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:common flameback (en); pica-pau-de-dorso-vermelho (pt); pic à dos rouge (fr); pito culirrojo (es); feuerrückenspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found in two separate areas, in south-western India and from north-eastern India and Bangladesh, through Indochina and into southern China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 28-30 cm long and weigh 67-100 g.

Habitat:
The common flameback is tropical moist forests, especially open, secondary forests, but also in dry deciduous woodlands, scrublands, mangroves, arable land, plantations and within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.700 m.

Diet:
They eat small insects, such as ants and cockroaches, larvae and also small scorpions, which they catch by gleaning, probing and pecking on the lower levels of the trees.

Breeding:
Common flamebacks breed in November-July. They nest in a cavity excavated on the trunk of a tree, typically less than 5 m above the ground. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs. there is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods.

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

Great spotted woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Photo by Thomas Hochebner (Woodpeckers of the World)

Common name:
great spotted woodpecker (en); pica-pau-malhado-grande (pt); pic épeiche (fr); pico picapinos (es); buntspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found throughout Europe, with the exceptions of Iceland, Ireland, and northern Scandinavia, in Morocco and Algeria, and through Russia and the Caucasus all the way to southern and eastern China, Korea and Japan.

Size:
These birds are 20-26 cm long and have a wingspan of 38-44 cm. They weigh 70-100 g.

Habitat:
The great spotted woodpecker is mostly found in broad-leaved and coniferous forests, in boreal, temperate and tropical areas, but also in rural gardens, plantations and within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on seeds and nuts, invertebrates such as beetles and insect larvae, and also bird eggs and nestlings.

Breeding:
Great spotted woodpeckers breed in April-July. They nest in holes in trees, excavated by both sexes. It is placed on the trunk of a tree, about 4 m above the ground. The female lays 4-7 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-21 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 73,5-216 million individuals. In parts of Europe the population is known to have undergone a moderate increase over the last 3 decades.

Ground woodpecker

Geocolaptes olivaceus

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
ground woodpecker (en); pica-pau-das-rochas (pt); pic laboureur (fr); pico de la tierra (es); erdspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is endemic to South Africa, being found in most of the southern, eastern and western parts of the country, as well as in Lesotho and Swaziland.

Size:
These birds are 22-30 cm long and weigh 105-135 g.

Habitat:
The ground woodpecker is found in rock and boulder strewn mountain slopes, usually in treeless grasslands and scrublands, but also near swamps and marshes. they are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They are highly specialized on ants, digging up subsurface ant nests and licking them up with its sticky tongue. They take adult ants as well as larvae, pupae and eggs, of Camponotus, Anoplolepis, Acantolepis, Crematogaster, Tetramorium, Pheidole, Meranoplus and Solenopsis. Sometimes they also eat beetles and termites.

Breeding:
Ground woodpeckers breed in July-December, with a peak in August-September. They breed in pairs or trios, with both sexes excavate the nest, a long tunnel with an chamber at the end which is usually dug into earthen banks, such as riverbanks and gullies, or in crumbling walls of abandoned buildings or termite mounds. There the female lays 2-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents and possibly also helpers. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledging periods, but the chicks are fed by both parents and helpers and remain with the parents until the onset of the following breeding season.

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

Black woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

Photo by Jari Peltomaki (Luonto Portti)

Common name:
black woodpecker (en); pica-pau-preto (pt); pic noir (fr); pito negro (es); schwarzspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is widely distributed in Eurasia, from the northern Iberian Peninsula to central China and north to northern Scandinavia and north-eastern Russia.

Size:
These large woodpeckers are 45-55 cm long and have a wingspan of 64-73 cm. They weigh 250-370 g.

Habitat:
The black woodpecker is found in temperate and boreal forests, and to a lesser extent in tropical dry forests. They are most common in mountanous areas, but occur at altitudes of 100-2.400 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, eating various insects and their larvae, particularly carpenter ants and other wood-boring insects.

Breeding:
Black woodpeckers breed in April-July. They nest on a deep which they excavate into the trunk of a tree, usually 5-20 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-6 shiny white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 13 days. The chicks are fed ants and at larvae by both parents and fledge 25-31 days after hatching, remaining with the parents for at least 1 more week after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population has been roughly estimated at 4,5-16,8 million individuals. The black woodpecker has expanded its range in western Europe, central Europe and Japan, and the population in Europe has undergone a moderate increase in the last 3 decades.

Red-bellied woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

Photo by Tom Friedel (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-bellied woodpecker (en); pica-pau-de-ventre-vermelho (pt); pic à ventre roux (fr); carpintero de Carolina (es); Carolinaspecht (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Piciformes
Family Picidae

Range:
This species is found throughout the eastern United States, from South Dakota and Michigan to Massachusetts and south to the Gulf coast from Florida to southern Texas. It is also found in southern Ontario, Canada.

Size:
These birds are 23-27 cm long and have a wingspan of 38-46 cm. They weigh 55-90 g.

Habitat:
They are mostly found in temperate forested, namely oak-hickory forest, pine-hardwood forest, maple and tulip-poplar stands, and pine flatwoods. They can also be found in swamp forests, tropical forests, dry savannas, plantations and rural gardens, especially along rivers and streams. The red-bellied woodpecker is sometimes found within urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 900 m.

Diet:
Red-bellied woodpeckers are omnivorous, eating fruits, acorns, seeds, berries and tree sap, but also arboreal arthropods such as ants, flies, grasshoppers, beetle larvae, caterpillars and spiders. They are also known to take small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, small fishes, nestling birds and eggs.

Breeding:
These birds breed in March-June. Both sexes excavate a hole in a dead tree, usually a hardwood or pine, or sometimes on a dead branch of a live tree or a fence post. There the female lays 2-6 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 11-12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 24-26 days after hatching. They usually raise a single brood, or occasionally 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population is estimated at 10 million individuals. The red-bellied woodpecker has undergone a small increase over the last 40 years and it is not threatened at present.

fruits, nuts, seeds, berries and tree sap

White woodpecker

 Melanerpes candidus

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:

white woodpecker (en); pica-pau-branco (pt); pic dominicain (fr); carpintero blanco (es); weißspecht (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

Range:

This South American species is found from French Guyana, in the north, through most of Brazil and into southern Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Size:

These birds are 24-29 cm long and weigh 98-136 g.

Habitat:

The white woodpecker is mostly found in dry savannas and dry tropical forests, but also in dry grasslands and scrublands with some trees, moist forests, agricultural fields, palm groves, orchards and exotic plantations. they occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:

They feed on fruits, seeds and insects and are also known to eat honey from bee hives. Their insect prey are mostly Hymenoptera, namely leaf-cutting ants Acromyrmexi, other ants, the wasp Polybia scutellaris and the stingless bee Trigona spinipes.

Breeding:

White woodpeckers breed in September-December. They sometimes breed communally, in groups of 5-8 birds. The nest is a hole in tree or stump, or sometimes a hole among rocks. there the female lays 3-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both parents. there is no information regarding the length of the incubation period. The chicks fledge 35-36 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon and patchily distributed. The population appears to have expanded its range in the south since the early 1990's. In some areas they may be persecuted due to the damage they cause in orchards and fruit plantations, and in some cases trapped for the cage bird market, but overall the white woodpecker is not threatened.

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.