Three-toed Woodpecker

Facts about Three-toed Woodpeckers, the "Scientific name for Three-toed Woodpecker is Picoides dorsalis". Three-toed Woodpecker is a Picoides type of woodpecker that comes from the Picidae family. The Three-toed Woodpeckers are native to North America, and they are largely found in montane coniferous forests and boreal forests across North America. Due to the option of the habitat of the Three-toed Woodpeckers, are rarely observed by people. The Three-toed Woodpecker mostly live in mature woodlands with a profusion of insect-infected snags or fading trees, and spruce woodlands. Nearly all woodpeckers encompass four toes on every foot. This Three-toed Woodpecker is a fact it only three toes on each foot. The defeat of the fourth toe may assist to deliver stronger blows, but at the cost of climbing skill.

Features

The Three-toed Woodpecker is an average-sized bird, with a body length of 8 5/16 inches (21 cm), with the wingspan of 15 inches (38.1 cm). They have a body mass of 1.9 pounds (.86 kg).

The woodpecker closely looks like the black-backed woodpecker, which is a three-toed woodpecker, too. Adult Three-toed Woodpeckers have a black and while color body, with a black color wings, head and rump, and the white color runs from their throat to the abdomen. The flanks of the Three-toed Woodpecker are white in color, with black-colored bars. The back part of the Three-toed Woodpecker is white in color, with black-colored bars and they have black-colored tail, with the white color external feathers barred with the black color. The adult male Three-toed Woodpecker appears with a yellow-colored cap.

Scientific name for Woodpecker "Picidae". Three-toed 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.

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

The breeding home of the Three-toed Woodpecker is coniferous woodlands across the western parts of Alaska, Canada and the mid-western parts of the United States. The Three-toed Woodpeckers also breed in different spots in the upper peninsula of Michigan. The female Three-toed Woodpecker will lay three to seven eggs, but more frequently it lays four eggs in a nest hole in a deceased conifer or occasionally a pole or a live tree. The couple digs a new nest every year. Normally, the Three-toed Woodpecker is a permanent inhabitant, but northern woodpeckers may migrate to south and woodpeckers at high altitudes may shift to lower levels during the winter season.

Diet

Mostly, the Three-toed woodpecker used to forage on conifers, looking for wood-drilling beetle larvae or other pests. They also feed on fruits and tree sap.

The average lifespan of the Three-toed Woodpecker ranges from 5 years to 6 years.

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

Three-toed Woodpeckers in fact are omnivores; meaning - an animal that eats food of both animal and plant and origin.

Three-toed 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 Three-toed Woodpecker female will lay between 3 and 5 eggs and the incubation period will lasts 11 to 14 days. After one month of hatching, young Three-toed Woodpeckers will leave the nest and venture out on there own.

Three-toed Woodpeckers possess a protective ocular mechanisms for protecting its eyes from shaking from the pecking impact. Three-toed 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 Three-toed Woodpecker are covered with a nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink)— a translucent and transparent third eyelid - that protects the Three-toed Woodpeckers eyes from flying debris while pecking.

An average Three-toed 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. Three-toed Woodpeckers have barbed tongues that helps them remove bugs from holes and tree bark.
Feathers that look like hairs on the Three-toed Woodpecker nostrils, prevent ingestion of wood particles.

When feeding, drumming and building a nest cavity, a Three-toed 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.