Woodpecker

birds · forest · amazing beaks

Tree drummers. Woodpeckers peck at tree bark to find tasty insects hiding inside, and to dig out nesting holes.

Almost everywhere. They live across most of the world's forests and woodlands, but not in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, or the icy polar regions.

Cactus living. The Gila woodpecker is a desert specialist that makes its home in giant cacti instead of trees.

Big family. They belong to the bird family Picidae, which also includes piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers.

Not just trees. A few woodpeckers live in treeless places like rocky hillsides and deserts.