Picidae is the woodpecker family, order Piciformes, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. It contains around 240 species in roughly 35 genera, found worldwide except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme polar regions, with greatest diversity in tropical rainforests. Members share strong bills for drilling, long sticky tongues for extracting insects and larvae, and zygodactyl feet with stiffened tail feathers that brace them against tree trunks, and many are known for territorial drumming. Species range in size from the 7.5 centimeter bar-breasted piculet to the 45 to 55 centimeter great slaty woodpecker.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Sources
1. Wikipedia: Woodpecker
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers.
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