Woodpeckers of the World: June 2014

Thursday, 26 June 2014

Picid in Focus: Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker

A male (note the yellow crown) Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, bringing food to its young in the cavity. Photo taken in Lower Austria (race alpinus) in spring 2014 by Thomas Hochebner

Thursday, 19 June 2014

Woodpecker book out today!

I am very pleased and proud to tell you all that my new book WOODPECKERS OF THE WORLD is officially published today by Helm/Bloomsbury. Thanks to all of you who helped in various ways. Gerard Gorman.

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Picid in Focus: Fernandina's Flicker female

Female Fernandina's Flicker Colaptes fernandinae. A localised and vulnerable Cuban endemic. Photo by Gerard Gorman, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, March 2014.

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.