Top 10 Most Beautiful Woodpeckers

2025-07-08 16:51:17 60

Woodpeckers are a general term for animals of the family Picidae in the order Pipetiformes. They are distributed all over the world, with about 34 genera and 208 species. Species that are widely distributed in China include:Green Woodpecker, Spotted Woodpecker, etc., both of which have several subspecies distributed in the north and south, and almost all of them are resident birds. Woodpeckers spend most of their time pecking at wood with their sharp beaks. If it were a human, their brain and eyes would be severely damaged. Scientists have found that woodpeckers have evolved a thick, spongy skull that protects their brains like a sponge. Woodpeckers have also evolved their own "seat belt" system, so they can hit tree trunks at high speed without getting a concussion.

Do you know which woodpecker is the most beautiful? This article brings you the 10 most beautiful woodpeckers in the world. Which one do you like best?

1. Brown-bellied Woodpecker(Beautiful bird with rich colors)

Brown-bellied Woodpeckeris produced in the Himalayas. It is a colorful woodpecker with a deep red head and neck, black and white back, black tail feathers from waist to center, and white tail feathers with black horizontal stripes on the outside. The area around the eyes and chin is white, and the rest of the body is mostly light ochre, with slightly pink undertail coverts. The female has black and white on the top of the head.

2. Northern Flutter(brightly colored woodpecker)

Northern Flutteris distributed in most of North Americaand parts of Central Americaand CubaandCayman Islands. This is a common bird in the distribution area, and its common name is hundreds of species.They have a strong and solid body, a round head, a long and tapering tail, and a strong and downward-curved beak. The area around the eyes is white, the cheeks are pink, and there are clear black, white, yellow, and red blocks on the neck and chest. The feathers are rich and diverse. They generally live up to about 6 years. Only 0.6% of northern wigeons can live to the 7th year. There is not much difference between males and females. The highest lifespan record is 9 years and 2 months.

3. Great Spotted Woodpecker(Advanced color matching, graceful flying posture)

The Great Spotted Woodpeckeris a bird widely distributed in the Palearctic, and can be seen throughoutEurasiaandNorth Africa; Chinamost of them can be seen, Tibetno distribution of this species.The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a small to medium-sized bird with a delicate appearance and a perfect body color combination. The male has a conspicuous narrow red patch on the back of its head, as if it is wearing a "little red hat", while the female does not have this feature. When flying, its wings are wavy and graceful. Its abdomen is mainly white, and there are bright red feathers under the tail and abdomen, which is very eye-catching.

4. Blue-throated Woodpecker(the "colorful bird" hidden in the forest")

Blue-throated Woodpecker is found in India and is distributed in western, central, southern and southeastern Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi in China. The bird is mainly green and usually hides in the forest canopy. The forehead is vermilion, there is a blue-black horizontal band on the top of the head, there are vermilion spots on the occipital and throat, and the cheeks and throat are bright copper blue. Its overall color is colorful, so it is known as the "five-color bird".

5. White-backed Woodpecker(Patterned Little Red Riding Hood)

White-backed WoodpeckerAlso known asGreat Red Woodpecker<span style="color: #202122; --tt-darkmode-color: The spotted woodpecker is found in Silesia, Eastern Europe. It is the largest spotted woodpecker in the Western Palearctic, 24–26 cm long, with a wingspan of 38–40 cm. Its plumage is similar to that of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but it has white stripes on its wings instead of spots, and its underside is white. The male has a red head, while the female is black. This is a rare bird that requires large areas of mature broadleaf forest with lots of dead standing and fallen trees. Its numbers are decreasing in the Nordic countries. In the wild, the White-backed Woodpecker can live three to four years, and in captivity it can live about eleven years.

6. Great Woodpecker(bright and colorful)

Great WoodpeckerAlso known asGreat Woodpecker,Origin: China. Distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, etc. Their entire head, neck, and throat are dark blue or purple-blue, the upper chest is dark brown, the lower chest and abdomen are light yellow, and have broad green or blue-green stripes. The back and shoulders are dark green, the rest of the upper body is grass green, and the undertail coverts are red. They like to perch on the top of tall trees. They are agile and can stand on branches and move left and right like parrots.

7. Downy Woodpecker(The smallest woodpecker in North America)

Downy Woodpecker is a North American woodpecker.The smallest woodpecker in America, mainly distributed in North America, including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Bermuda, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and the transition zone between North America and Central America in Mexico. It is about 14-18 cm long and has a wingspan of 25-31 cm. The body is black and white, with obvious black and white stripes on the head, a short tail, and the male bird has bright red feathers on the head. The feather color is roughly the same as that of the larger long-billed woodpecker. The beak of the downy woodpecker is shorter than the head, while the beak of the long-billed woodpecker is almost the same length as the head.

8. Red-bellied Woodpecker(black and white stripes with red embellishments)

Red-bellied WoodpeckerMainly in the eastern United Statesand south to Florida, and as far north as Canada. Although it has bright orange crest and nape feathers, it is a completely different bird from the Red-headed Woodpecker, a species in the same genus that has a red head and neck, a pure black back, and a white belly. The Red-bellied Woodpecker gets its name from the reddish color of its belly. The bird has a reddish belly and is not easy to observe in the wild.

9. Great Golden-backed Woodpecker(Colorful golden bird)

The Great Golden-backed Woodpecker is a colorful woodpecker with rich body color. The male bird has red head and crest, white neck, golden back, shoulders and wings, and dark red waist. The tail coverts and tail are black. The female bird has a black head and crest with white spots, and the rest of the body color is similar to the male bird. During the breeding season, the male bird's body color changes, with the top of the head and the crown becoming brighter and blood red, and the back becoming golden orange. Of course, all of this is to attract female birds.

10. Red-headed Woodpecker(A colorful bird with three distinct colors)

Red-headed Woodpeckers are distributed in North America, including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Bermuda, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and the transition zone between North America and Central America in Mexico. The body of the Red-headed Woodpecker has three obvious colors, including a black back and tail, and a red head. The red-headed woodpecker is mainly white from the neck to the neck, and the lower body is mainly white. The wings are black with some white feathers. The feathers of adult males and females are exactly the same color. People who don't often watch birds often confuse the red-headed woodpecker with the red-bellied woodpecker because the red-bellied woodpecker also has red feathers on its head.

The above ten woodpeckers are not only beautiful in appearance and colorful, but also have unique ecological adaptability. By understanding these woodpeckers, we can appreciate the diversity and ecological beauty of nature more deeply.

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