Woodpeckers of the World

Wednesday, 27 September 2017

Freckle-breasted Woodpecker

Recently fledged male Freckle-breasted Woodpecker Dendrocopos analis, Java, September 2017 (Gerard Gorman).

Saturday, 2 September 2017

Black Woodpecker at the nest hole

A great image of a female Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) at the nest hole entrance. By Peter Csonka, Tata, Hungary.

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

Andean Flicker on the cover

The latest issue of Neotropical Birding, magazine of the Neotropical Bird Club, has a great photo of female Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola) on the cover.

Saturday, 3 June 2017

Knysna Woodpecker male

Knysna Woodpecker Campethera notata, adult male (note the red malar stripe). This species is endemic to South Africa. Photo by Gerard Gorman, Oribi Gorge, SA, February 2017.

Saturday, 20 May 2017

A new book entitled simply WOODPECKER is due to be published this summer by Reaktion Books, London, in their acclaimed Animal Series. Written by Gerard Gorman the book examines not only the natural but the cultural history of the animal... how it has been viewed by people from ancient times to the present day, and examines the woodpecker in art, literature, media, religion, mythology, legend and folklore.

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni, female. Kruger NP, South Africa, February 2017 (Gerard Gorman).

Background

Woodpeckers, the Picidae, are Piciformes, an order that includes some of the oldest avian lineages. The Piciformes probably originated about 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period and became distinct from their closest relatives some 50 million years ago. Depending upon which taxonomy is followed, and the fact that the status of some species is unclear, around 240-260 woodpecker species probably exist globally. The Picidae includes three subfamilies: Jynginae (wrynecks), Picumninae (piculets) and the Picinae, the “true woodpeckers”. In terms of size, behaviour, distribution and the habitats they use, the Picinae are a fairly diverse group of birds with six distinct tribes. They are widespread and found from sea-level to high-altitudes but absent from the Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some other islands. Worldwide woodpeckers are usually, but not exclusively, associated with trees.