Woodpeckers are birds of the order of Piciformes
("a group of birds including the woodpeckers, toucans,
barbets, colies, kingfishes, hornbills, and some other
related groups").
They are found worldwide and include about 180 species.
Woodpeckers got their English name from tapping and
pecking noisily on tree trunks with their beaks. This is
both a means of communication to signal possession of
territory to their rivals, and a method of locating and
accessing insect larvae found under the bark or in long
winding tunnels in the tree.
Some woodpeckers and wrynecks in the order Piciformes
have zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward,
and two backward. These feet, though adapted for
clinging to a vertical surface, can be used for grasping
or perching. Several species have only three toes. The
woodpecker's long tongue, in many cases as long as the
woodpecker itself, can be darted forward to capture
insects. The tongue is not attached to the woodpecker's
head in the same way as it is in most birds, but instead
it curls back up around its skull, which allows it to be
so long.
The woodpecker first locates a tunnel by tapping on the
trunk. Once a tunnel is found, the woodpecker chisels
out wood till it makes an opening into the tunnel. Then
it worms its tongue into the tunnel to try to locate the
grub. The tongue of the woodpecker is long and ends in a
barb. With its tongue the woodpecker skewers the grub
and draws it out of the trunk.
Woodpeckers also use their beaks to create larger holes
for their nests which are 15-45 cm (6-18 inches) below
the opening. These nests are lined only with wood chips
and hold 2-8 white eggs laid by the females. Because the
nests are out of sight, they are not visible to
predators and eggs do not need to be camouflaged.
Cavities created by woodpeckers are also reused as nests
by other birds, such as grackles, starlings, some ducks
and owls, and mammals, such as tree squirrels.
Alco Animal & Pest Control is more than happy to inform New Jersey and out of state visitors on these and other
species that (might) cause dangers to their health. We offer great advice and
solutions because we are well certified and informed when it comes to animal control and
the safety of animals in New Jersey, that is our
main priority.
Pest Control services in:
Bergen County | Passaic County | Essex
County | Union County | Middlesex County
|
Morris County | Somerset County | Hudson
County | Monmouth County | Mercer County
|
[20.03.2006]
Alco Animal &
Pest Control
NJ Pest Control Contact number:(973)-540-9944
(201)-261-7566
All About Bats & The Bat Species in
NJ
[20.03.2006]
