Reptiles and Birds / A Popular Account of Their Various Orders, With a Description of the Habits and Economy of the Most Interesting

by Louis Figuier

Woodpeckers.

The birds which compose this family are characterised by a rather long, conical, pointed beak, and by a very extensible tongue. They form two genera, Woodpeckers and Wry-necks.

Fig. 196.—Black Woodpeckers (Picus (Dryocopus) martius, Gould).
1. Female. 2. Male.

Fig. 197—Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (Picus minor, Gould).

Woodpeckers excel in the art of climbing, but they do not perform it in the same manner as Parrots. They accomplish their ascensions by extending their toes, supplied with bent claws, upon the trunk of a tree, and maintain themselves hanging there; then move themselves a little farther by a sudden and jerked skip, and so on. These movements are facilitated by the disposition of the tail, formed of straight resistant feathers, slightly worn away at their extremities, which, pressed against a tree, serve as a support to the bird. Thanks to this organisation, Woodpeckers traverse trees in every direction—downwards, upwards, or horizontally. Woodpeckers are of a timid and restless disposition; they live alone in the midst or on the borders of large forests. Insects and their larvæ form their nourishment; there they seek them in the trunks and clefts of trees. Their tongue is wonderfully suited to this work of exploration. It is very long, and, by a peculiar mechanism, can be projected out far enough to reach objects three or four inches away. The beak is terminated by a horny point bristling with small hooks. In many species it is overlaid with a sticky humour, secreted by two voluminous glands, the effect of which is to catch the insects which it touches. Whenever the bird darts this tongue into the crevices, it draws it out more or less laden with insects. If it perceives an insect that it cannot reach by means of this organ, it has recourse to its strong beak: striking the tree with redoubled blows, it cuts the bark, breaks an opening, and seizes the coveted prey. It often also strikes with its beak to sound the tree, and assure itself that there is no cavity in the interior which would serve as a refuge for its prey. If the trunk is hollow, it examines all parts to find the entrance to the cavity. When it has discovered it, it introduces its tongue; and if the canal is not large enough to permit it to explore the hiding-place with success, it increases the size of the aperture. It is not only to seek for food that Woodpeckers make holes in trees, but also to establish their nests. Some species, it is true, select the anfractuosities which they find, but others hollow out their resting-places according to their tastes. When such is the case, they inspect soft-wood trees, such as the beech, aspen, &c., to ascertain those that are decayed in the interior. When they have made their choice, the male and female peck the bark off the tree by turns, and do not cease to labour till they have reached the decayed portion. The cavity which they bore is generally so oblique and so deep that perfect darkness must surround them. It is doubtless a measure of security against the little mammals, especially the rodents, the natural enemies of their family. The female deposits her eggs upon a bed of moss or the dust of worm-eaten wood. The young birds grow slowly, and receive in the nest the care of their parents for a long time. In general they have little voice, or only utter disagreeable cries. At breeding-time they frequently employ a language peculiar to themselves: they strike the trunks of dead trees with their beaks, and these blows, which are heard at a great distance, attract all the Woodpeckers of the neighbourhood.

Fig. 198.—Wry-necks (Yunx torquilla, Yarrell).

Woodpeckers are generally considered noxious birds, because they are supposed to injure the trees of forests and orchards, and for this reason a relentless war is made against them. They should, on the contrary, be protected; for they destroy innumerable insects, the real enemies of timber. Besides, they scarcely ever attack healthy trees—they reserve their labours for those which are worm-eaten. There are a great number of species of Woodpeckers known, which are spread over the two continents: Europe possesses eight, seven of which live in France either in a settled state or as birds of passage. The principal are the Black Woodpecker, the Spotted Woodpecker, and the Grey Woodpecker.

Wry-necks owe their name to the curious property which they possess of being able to twist their necks in such a manner as to turn the head in all directions. They repeat this movement every instant, especially when surprised or angry. At the same time their eyes become fixed, the feathers of the head stand up, and the tail expands itself. Like Woodpeckers, they can hang upon trees, and sustain themselves in a vertical position for a long time; but they are incapable of climbing. The weakness of their beaks does not permit of their boring trees; therefore they seek their nourishment upon the ground, principally amongst the ant-hills. They lead a solitary existence, which they only relinquish at pairing-time. They possess a characteristic confidence, never in the least avoid the presence of man, and become very familiar in captivity. They build in the natural holes of trees, or in those hollowed by Woodpeckers. Their plumage is pleasing, and their size is the same as the Lark. They inhabit all the Old Continent.