Woodpeckers of the World: How Many Woodpecker Species Are There ?

Wednesday 13 November 2013

How Many Woodpecker Species Are There ?

So how many species of woodpecker (the Picidae) are there on the planet today ? Well, first of all, that depends upon what we define as a species. The various taxonomic authorities differ on this issue, with some recognising certain taxa as species, others recognising the same taxa as sub-species (races). And what about those species that have not been seen alive in the wild for many decades ? Do we include those ? I have put a lot of thought into this question and considered many things as I prepared my forthcoming book: my figure is 239 species. The way things are in the taxonomic world, this figure may well change, increasing or decreasing, by the time a 2nd edition appears. GG. Photo: Adult male Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus, Costa Rica, by Gerard Gorman.

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Background

Woodpeckers, the Picidae, are Piciformes, an order that includes some of the oldest avian lineages. The Piciformes probably originated about 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period and became distinct from their closest relatives some 50 million years ago. Depending upon which taxonomy is followed, and the fact that the status of some species is unclear, around 240-260 woodpecker species probably exist globally. The Picidae includes three subfamilies: Jynginae (wrynecks), Picumninae (piculets) and the Picinae, the “true woodpeckers”. In terms of size, behaviour, distribution and the habitats they use, the Picinae are a fairly diverse group of birds with six distinct tribes. They are widespread and found from sea-level to high-altitudes but absent from the Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some other islands. Worldwide woodpeckers are usually, but not exclusively, associated with trees.