Woodpeckers of the World

Thursday, 8 April 2021

Black Woodpecker with some brown plumage.

Sometimes Black Woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius) have some brown feathers. The reason for this has still not been satisfactorily explained.

Thursday, 8 October 2020

I'm delighted to announce that my new book is now published. The Green Woodpecker: a monograph on Picus viridis is available from amazon on-line stores. Gerard Gorman.

Saturday, 22 August 2020

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Ocsa ringing/banding camp, Hungary, August 2020.

Monday, 18 May 2020

Golden-olive Woodpecker in Peru

Male Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus subspecies rubripileus. November 2012. NW Peru.

Sunday, 10 May 2020

Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla, Slovakia.

Saturday, 25 April 2020

Some woodpecker books here

Lots of time to read these days, so maybe get a book on woodpeckers?
http://www.probirder.com/books.html

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.