Red-cockaded Woodpecker

Facts about Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, the scientific name for "Red-cockaded Woodpecker" is "Picoides borealis". The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a Picoides type of woodpecker that comes from the Picidae family. These woodpeckers are native to the United States, and they are largely found in the southeastern parts of the United States, ranging from Florida to New Jersey, the western part of Oklahoma and Texas, and west coast woodlands of North America. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a bird of established southern pine forests and its favorite for long-leaf pine and the obliteration of that locale have caused the woodpecker turning out to be an endangered variety.

Features

The Fact a Red-cockaded Woodpecker is an average-sized bird, with a body length, ranging from 7 7/8 to 9 1/8 inches (19.2 to 24 cm), with the wingspan, ranging from 13 inches to 16 inches (13 to 40.6 cm). They have a body mass that ranges from 1.5 pounds to 1.8 pounds (.68 to .8 kg). The wing chord of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker ranges from 3 3/4 inches to 5 inches (9.5 to 12.7 cm), with the tail length between 2 13/16 inches to 3 7/32 inches (2.81 to 3.21 cm). The bill of the woodpecker varies from 3/4 inches to 29/32 inches (1.9 to 2.3 cm), with the tarsus, measuring from 23/32 inches to 7/8 inches (1.8 to 2.2 kg).

The Fact a Red-cockaded Woodpecker has a black and white colored body, with its barred black-colored back, with black and white colored horizontal lines. The most unique feature of this woodpecker is a black-colored cap and nape, which surround the huge white color cheek patches. The male bird boasts a small red band on both sides of its black-colored cap, which is rarely noticeable, except possibly during the breeding period and periods of territorial protection.

The Red-cockaded woodpecker is a protective, non-migratory, accommodating breeding variety, often having the identical mate for numerous years. The Fact a Red-cockaded Woodpecker will only nests in live pines and often selects a pine tree that is infected with the red heart fungus. This red heart fungus will soften the wood and allows the Red-cockaded Woodpecker to peck out a home. The nesting period commences from April to June. The female bird lays three to four eggs in the reproduction roost cavity of the male bird. Group birds protect the tiny white eggs for 10 to 13 days. Once the eggs hatched, the nestlings stay in the nest hole for about 26 to 29 days. After fledging, the juveniles often stay with their parents, forming clusters of a minimum of nine members, but more normally three to four associates. There is only one couple of breeding woodpeckers in each cluster, and they usually raise only one brood in a year.

Diet

Red-cockaded woodpeckers mostly feed on beetles, ants, cockroaches, wood-boring insects, caterpillars, and spiders, and they rarely feed on berries and fruits.

The average lifespan of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker ranges from 10 years to 12 years.

Scientific name for Woodpecker "Picidae". Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are birds in the Class of "Aves". There are more than 190 species of woodpeckers worldwide, but none of them are found in polar regions, Madagascar, New Zealand or Australia.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet, having 4 fingers, which means they have two toes facing the front and two toes facing the back, that helps them to have a strong grip on trees vertically. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker use these 8 fingers with their stiff central portion tail feathers to brace on trees as they climb.

A average Red-cockaded Woodpeckers tongue is up to 4 inches long. The length can be a little different depending on which species of woodpecker. Its tongue wraps around the reinforced skull structured and squashy bone, to even out the impact of the pecking force. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have barbed tongues that helps them remove bugs from holes and tree bark.
Feathers that look like hairs on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker nostrils, prevent ingestion of wood particles.

When feeding, drumming and building a nest cavity, a Red-cockaded Woodpecker can peck up to 20 times per second, wow that's fast! or a total between 9,000 and 12,000 pecks in a day.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have a prominent surge in flight comprise of three rapid wing flaps, followed by a quick glide when the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers wings are tucked against its body rather than spread out like many other birds.

The average life span of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker in the wild is 4 to 11 years, depending on the species and environment

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are monogamous meaning- the pair will mate for lifetime. Both male and female prepare the nest in the tree for babies and both will help feed them. The female Red-cockaded Woodpecker will lay between 3 and 5 eggs and the incubation period will lasts 11 to 14 days. After one month of hatching, young Red-cockaded Woodpeckers will leave the nest and venture out on there own.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers possess a protective ocular mechanisms for protecting its eyes from shaking from the pecking impact. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers show a restricted axial globe movement due to the tight fit within the fascial tissue connections and orbit between the sclera and orbital rim.
The eyes of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker are covered with a nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink)— a translucent and transparent third eyelid - that protects the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers eyes from flying debris while pecking.

Male and female Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are able to drum hollow trees logs execrate. Since Red-cockaded Woodpeckers do not have vocal cords and don't sing, this pecking activity also plays an important role in communicating with each other. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers drumming is also to attract a mate, mark out territory, both sexes are known to drum.

Cockade - meaning: a decoration that is worn on a hat especially as part of a uniform to show a person's rank or status. The Red-cockaded Woodpecker has the tiny red line on the side of the head sometimes hiding of the male, hence the name Red-cockaded.