The five most common woodpeckers in our area are the Downy, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Pileated woodpeckers and the Northern Flicker. I’ve always been fascinated by them and put out suet for them in the Winter.

There are 23 different species of woodpeckers in North America and 241 have been identified worldwide. There is obviously considerable variation among them in size, coloration and such. They have adapted over time to many different environments.

The vast majority of birds have four toes on their feet. Three of the woodpecker species have three toes. The other 238 all have four toes like most other birds.

What distinguishes these woodpeckers from other birds with four toes is that they have what are called zygodactyl feet with two toes facing forwards and two toes facing backwards. Other birds usually have three facing forwards and one backwards.

Why do woodpeckers need the odd toe arrangement? It helps them to grip a tree while pounding their heads against it to bore holes and look for insects and larvae for food. Having an equal number of toes facing in both directions allows their foot to act like a balanced clamp. What a wonderful example of adaptation in nature.

What about the Three-toed, Black-backed and Eurasian three-toed woodpeckers, the ones without four toes? According to biologists, only having one rearward facing toe allows these birds to lean farther back and more easily deliver powerful glancing blows to strip bark off trees instead of boring holes straight in. Delivering glancing blows requires less grip strength.

In the case of the Black-backed woodpecker, it is very specialized and preys primarily on the larvae of wood boring beetles under the bark of trees that have been damaged by forest fires. Being three-toed helps it to maneuver around and strip the damaged bark from burnt trees.

The claws on the toes of woodpeckers are curved and sharp to aid their grip while pounding on trees. They also use their stiff tail feathers as a brace while hammering away for food.

So, what about our local woodpeckers? They all have zygodactyl feet. Check them out the next time you see them. Consider putting up some suet to attract them. I get all five species coming to mine, although the Pileated is rare since the species is so shy.

Let’s all enjoy the outdoors!

John S. Van Etten is the current president of the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County, Inc.