Woodpeckers | Picidae

Spechten | Pájaros carpinteros

Some species in the family drill not tunnels toward larvae but neat rows of shallow wells in the bark, from which sap wells up and is licked up along with the insects it attracts; the wells are maintained and revisited for days. Other species gather large quantities of acorns or other nuts in autumn and wedge them one by one into individually drilled holes in a dead trunk, turning it into a winter larder. The drumming pattern used to mark a territory differs between species in speed and length of the roll, and so can be told apart by ear from one woodpecker to another. Once vacated, nest cavities are often taken over by chickadees, ducks or other hole-nesters unable to excavate one themselves, so the family indirectly provides nest sites for dozens of other bird species.