Each of us had the opportunity to hear the sound of a woodpecker. When you watch this brisk multi-colored bird, you wonder how in such a small body there is enough strength to hammer a tree with such speed and zeal. What do we know about this feathered worker? Woodpecker - migratory bird or not? Where does he live? What eats, except insects? How does it breed? The answers to all these questions, as well as photos of a beautiful and useful bird, are presented in the article. Enjoy reading and watching!
Appearance
The woodpecker family consists of 30 species of birds. They inhabit almost the entire globe, except for Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Antarctica. The most common representative of this family in Russia is the motley woodpecker. A migratory bird or not, we will learn more about this later, but for now we’ll talk about its external features.
You can recognize the spotted woodpecker by its color: black-and-white body and wings, a red “cap” on the head and feathers of the lower part of the tail of the same color. The paws of the bird are short, not adapted for movement on the ground. But the structure of the limbs (thin long spread fingers) allows the bird to snuggle well against the trunk of the tree. Hooked sharp claws cling well to the bark, which allows the bird to stay firmly on a vertical surface. The beak has a chisel shape. Due to this structure of this part of the body, the woodpecker easily breaks off the particles of the trunk and hammer wood. The speed of beak strikes reaches 10 times per second.
Where does he live?
Woodpecker is a forest bird. This fact is confirmed by all literature of an encyclopedic nature. But it cannot be said that this species of birds lives only in the forest. It will be more correct to note that this is a wild bird that lives where there are trees. In addition to the forest, we can observe colorful woodpeckers in almost every urban courtyard and park. Birds of this species inhabit the hollows, which they hollow in the tree trunks themselves in order to lay eggs in them and take out the chicks. Woodpecker - wintering or migratory bird? We learn about this after we familiarize ourselves with information about what the representatives of this species of birds eat.
What does a woodpecker eat?
This bird is omnivorous. In the warm season, the main delicacy for her are insects: caterpillars, ants, spiders, various beetles. Woodpeckers that live near water can eat crustaceans and small snails. There are cases when birds of this species feed on eggs and chicks of small breeds of wild birds (sparrows, tits). In settlements, woodpeckers can be observed in landfills, where they eat food waste. In the cold season, the woodpecker, a useful bird, regales itself with the seeds of plants, mainly conifers. In the spring, representatives of this species of feathered love to pamper themselves with birch sap. They hammer a hole in the bark of a tree until a sweet liquid begins to drip, and then they drink it.
How does a woodpecker winter?
From the above information about what the bird eats in the cold season, we can conclude that the woodpecker is a wintering bird. And that is absolutely true. A woodpecker lives where he was born. And if he was born where winter is, it means that in that place he is waiting for her. Migration of birds of this species can be over short distances, only during severe frosts. Then woodpeckers can migrate from the forest closer to the settlements. With food at this time, it is very difficult. In snowy winters it is almost impossible to find food for birds. It is for this reason that woodpeckers can fly to human habitation. Indifferent people feed these, however, like other wintering birds, hanging food troughs on trees and roofs of houses. With the onset of the first warm days, feathered "informers" either return to their habitats or take root forever in the vicinity of the village.
Breeding
So, is a woodpecker a migratory bird or not? You have learned the answer to this question, and then we will talk about how their breeding season goes. At the end of winter, representatives of this genus of birds gather in small flocks. The males make loud sounds resembling crackling, thus inviting the females to mate. When the pair has formed, they select a tree and begin to equip a nesting place. In April-May, a female woodpecker lays eggs in an amount of 3 to 8 pieces. The pair incubates them alternately. Chicks appear on the 15th day. Another month, the kids remain in the hollow, where the male and female bring food. By the end of July, fledglings begin to learn to fly, but before that they independently exit the hollow and move around the tree, clinging tightly to the bark with their sharp claws. Woodpeckers-parents take care of their children until the end of the summer, until they learn to fly confidently, independently obtain their own food. After this, a period comes when all representatives of the feathered family fly apart, and each of them begins to live separately. The following spring, the breeding cycle begins again.
Interesting fact
In the conversation about whether the woodpecker is a migratory bird or not, how this representative of the world of birds lives and what he eats, I would like to recall another name for him - a forest orderly. Why is it called that? Because it destroys harmful insects - each of us will say. The answer is correct, but not quite complete. A woodpecker hollows only diseased trees. On young healthy plants you will not see it. On a living green tree, he will hollow only in the place where it is sick. Thus, the bird eliminates the focus of the disease and protects the plant from further damage. Here he is, a little feathered forest orderly!