
Woodpeckers are part of the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known that live in treeless areas, such as rocky hillsides and deserts, and the Gila woodpecker specialises in exploiting cacti. Members of this family are chiefly known for their characteristic behaviour. They mostly forage for insect prey on the trunks and branches of trees, and often communicate by drumming with their beaks, producing a reverberatory sound that can be heard at some distance. Some species vary their diet with fruits, birds' eggs, small animals, tree sap, human scraps, and carrion. They usually nest and roost in holes that they excavate in tree trunks, and their abandoned holes are of importance to other cavity-nesting birds. They sometimes come into conflict with humans when they make holes in buildings or feed on fruit crops, but perform a useful service by their removal of insect pests on trees. The Picidae are one of nine living families in the order Piciformes, the others being barbets (comprising three families), toucans, toucan-barbets, and honeyguides, which (along with woodpeckers) comprise the clade Pici, and the jacamars and puffbirds in the clade Galbuli. DNA sequencing has confirmed the sister relationships of these two groups. The family Picidae includes about 240 species arranged in 35 genera. Almost 20 species are threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat or habitat fragmentation, with one, the Bermuda flicker, being extinct and a further two possibly being so.

Woodpecker

Species
for Species in Shere Khan, Lord of the Jungle
Suggested by adrianabengozarlopez

After his pregnant mate Durga is killed by the man-village poacher, Buldeo, Shere-Khan vows to hate all humans. Years later, in the man-village, a couple and their new-born ‘man-cub’ have inherited riches. Buldeo, wanting the inheritance, murders the couple, while their basket, carrying the baby, washes into the jungle. Soon, Shere-Khan and his cave-lodger, Tabaqui the jackal, find the baby. Shere Khan, still hating humans, reluctantly brings the baby to his cave. Over the next few days, with the help of Tabaqui, Bagheera the panther, and Baloo the bear, Shere-Khan grows fond of the baby. Shere-Khan and Bagheera argue about where the baby belongs. Buldeo soon kidnaps the baby, plotting to dispose of him to claim the inheritance. Shere-Khan and Bagheera sneak into the man-village at night, to Buldeo’s fur-hut, and they find that Bhadra, the alpha of a vicious pack of dholes in the jungle, has been captured/caged by Buldeo. After saving the baby, Shere-Khan reluctantly frees Bhadra. Leaving the baby with Bagheera, Shere-Khan confronts Buldeo. After a tense fight, Buldeo is caught in his own tigertrap. Shere-Khan now has the human, who took his mate, at his mercy. However, Shere-Khan lets Buldeo get finished off by Bhadra and his pack, who let Shere-Khan leave for freeing Bhadra. Shere-Khan and Bagheera emotionally have the baby adopted by a wolf-pack, who call the baby ’Mowgli’. Shere-Khan decides to go to the distant parts of the jungle, with Tabaqui accompanying him.





