Woodpeckers - Facts for Kids

Basic Information

Woodpeckers belong to the family Picidae (a group of related birds), which includes over 230 different types of woodpeckers worldwide!

A group of woodpeckers is called a descent (or sometimes a descension), though they rarely gather (come together) in large groups!

The smallest woodpecker in the world is the Bar-breasted Piculet, which is only as long as your thumb — 7.5 cm (3 in) from beak to tail!

The largest woodpecker type ever known was the Imperial Woodpecker — up to 22–24 inches long (56–60 cm), about the size of a big crow!

Most woodpeckers live about 5–17 years in the wild, but if people look after them, some can live nearly 30 years!

Most woodpecker types weigh between 1 and 14 ounces (38 and 529 g), which is about as light as a deck of cards to as heavy as a can of soup!

Male woodpeckers are often called “cocks,” females are called “hens,” and baby woodpeckers are called “chicks”!

Woodpeckers live almost everywhere in the world — except in super-cold Antarctica and the island regions of Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea), and Madagascar!

Some woodpecker types can drum their beaks against trees at a speed of 20 times per second!

The average woodpecker spends about 3 to 9 hours per day looking for food!

Physical Characteristics

Woodpeckers have specially changed (adapted) skulls with spongy, plate-like bone that acts like a built-in helmet to protect their brains when drumming!

A woodpecker’s tongue can extend (stretch out) up to 5 inches (13 cm) beyond its beak, which is about three times the length of its beak!

Woodpeckers have special sticky saliva (spit) that helps them catch insects with their long tongues!

When not in use, a woodpecker’s tongue wraps around its brain, providing (giving) extra cushioning (padding) during drumming!

Woodpeckers have stiff tail feathers that act like a kickstand to help them balance while climbing trees!

Woodpeckers have special feet with two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward, helping them grip (hold onto) tree bark securely!

A woodpecker’s beak grows continuously (keeps growing) throughout its life, just like our fingernails!

Woodpeckers have special bristle-like (brush-like) feathers over their nostrils (nose holes) to prevent wood chips from going up their nose while pecking!

A woodpecker’s eyelids close a millisecond (super fast) before each peck to protect their eyes from flying wood chips!

The force of a woodpecker’s peck is so strong that if humans could do it, we would get a concussion (brain injury)!

A woodpecker’s brain is protected by a tightly packed skull, spongy bone, and special support bones that keep it safe while pecking super fast!

Woodpeckers have special scales on their tongues that help them grip (hold) and pull out insects from tree holes!

Some woodpecker types have patches of bright red or yellow feathers that they use to communicate (talk) with other woodpeckers!

A woodpecker’s neck muscles are much stronger than those of other birds their size!

A woodpecker’s tail feathers are extra stiff and pointed to help them balance on tree trunks!

Woodpeckers have transparent (see-through) third eyelids that protect their eyes while pecking!

Baby woodpeckers’ beaks grow and harden as they peck and drill in the nest!

Behavior & Intelligence

Woodpeckers create different drumming patterns to communicate (talk) with other woodpeckers, almost like playing morse code (a special tapping language)!

Some woodpecker types store thousands of acorns in special tree holes called “granaries (food storage rooms)” for eating during winter!

Woodpeckers can remember the locations (places) of hundreds of their food storage sites throughout the forest!

Most woodpeckers are loners (live alone), only coming together during breeding season (when they have babies)!

Woodpeckers drum not just for food, but also to establish (claim) territory (their area) and attract mates (find partners)!

Some woodpecker types take turns sitting on (incubating) their eggs, showing excellent teamwork as parents!

Woodpeckers usually sleep inside tree cavities (holes) at night to stay safe from predators (animals that hunt them)!

Male woodpeckers often do most of the nest building, which can take up to a month to complete!

Woodpeckers have excellent problem-solving skills and can figure out how to access (get to) food in different types of tree bark!

Some woodpeckers will use human-made objects like metal poles or gutters to amplify (make louder) their drumming sound!

Woodpeckers sometimes use human-made structures like telephone poles and house siding to amplify (make louder) their drumming sounds!

Some woodpecker types work together in family groups to collect and store food for winter!

Woodpeckers have different drumming patterns for territory defense (protecting their area), mate attraction (finding partners), and general communication (talking)!

Male woodpeckers often drum more frequently (more often) during breeding season (when they want to have babies) to attract females!

Habitat & Survival

Woodpeckers can be found in almost every type of forest habitat (home environment), from tropical rainforests to cold mountain woodlands!

Some woodpecker types create new nest holes each year, leaving their old ones for other forest animals to use!

Woodpeckers help maintain (keep) healthy forests by controlling insect populations (groups) and creating homes for other animals!

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker only makes its home in living pine trees that are at least 80–100 years old!

Woodpeckers prefer (like better) dead or dying trees because they’re softer to peck and contain more insects!

Some woodpecker types will store food in special bark crevices (cracks) called “larders (food storage places)” for later use!

During cold winters, some woodpecker types will group together in tree cavities (holes) to stay warm!

Woodpeckers create different sized holes for different purposes (reasons) — larger ones for nests and smaller ones for feeding!

Some woodpecker types migrate (move) short distances to find better food sources during different seasons!