I really didn't realize how diverse they were!

I am amazed at how colorful woodpeckers can be and how two species can look so much alike. I enjoyed seeing the video of the woodpecker flake off big chunks of bark and how many insects were there to snack on.

I was most surprised by how pervasive woodpeckers are in the world. Same. So well distributed and so many species!

I did not know that the yellow bellied sapsucker migrated so far. 4800 miles. That’s crazy!

Wait! Maybe most surprising was the Wryneck imitating a snake.

It's surprising to learn that Downy and Hairy aren't that closely related and that the Hairy is more closely related to the Arizona. But I never imagined so many colorful woodpeckers such as the Yellow-fronted!

I did not realize that there were so many varieties and the colors of the others outside the US were just remarkable! Also, the smaller Piculet woodpeckers did not even look like what I think of as a woodpecker. Truly amazing!

how many look similar.  I have traveled to CA many times and I have often wondered who made those acorn holes. Now I know!

The behavior of the Acorn Woodpecker was fascinating and unexpected. I have never seen acorn granaries before even though I have been in the range of these birds on several occasions. The other surprising item was the visual similarity of fairly unrelated woodpecker species.

I am more familiar with American woodpecker species, so I enjoyed getting an introduction to the true woodpeckers found throughout the world. I also found it interesting to learn about the woodpeckers' cousins the piculets and wrynecks as they were new birds for me! I had heard about some woodpeckers who would nest in cacti, but woodpeckers using rocks was new to me. Finally, Acorn Woodpeckers are one of my favorites, so I enjoyed learning about telling males and females apart as it was new to me.

I was surprised to learn where there are no woodpeckers: Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar (and less surprising) certain islands. I thought that surely Australia would have some!

i had only recently learned that the downy and hairy woodpeckers were a result of convergent evolution and were not closely related.  It is interesting to me to see how many of the world's woodpeckers share that trait of convergent evolution.

I think what caught my attention most was the complicated social system of the Acorn Woodpeckers. I was aware that crows had 'helpers' and new 'breeders' from other populations/families, but not this species, or any species for that matter, of woodpeckers. The calls are pretty cool! Also am enjoying learning about the different species around the world - flamebacks are pretty spectatcular. Still not certain differences/relationships among the True Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks.  

I was amazed by the many woodpeckers that exist in the world and their brilliant colors. Here in our yard in Virginia I have seen Downey, Hairy, Pileated, Yellow bellied Sapsuckers and Flickers - both the yellow and red shafted and a rare one time sighting of a Red-headed Woodpecker.  I would love to see the Acorn Woodpecker - sounds like a fun bird! I think my favorite is the Pileated Woodpecker, love watching them destroy rotten tree stumps in the yard, their calls are interesting and I enjoy watching them fly.

I found it amazing there are so many woodpeckers.   I know I could never see them all in my life time so it is awesome that they made this course.  Now I know what I have been missing.  Being from the New Jersey I have seen Red Head (Kevin's and my favorite), Northern Flicker (Yellow Tail), Downing, Yellow-belly Sapsucker and Hairy Woodpecker.  I wanted to expand my woodpecker life list so I went down to Louisiana and Texas this year.  I got the Ladderback near Austin and Red Cockaded in Louisiana.  I am now obsessed and will be headed out West to Arizona in May to hopefully add a few more woodpeckers to my life list.  Would love to see the Acorn WP.  I love these courses because they really help you to become a better birder and it supports a good cause.

I didn't realize that the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker migrated so far.

We have a family of acorn woodpeckers living on our property in southern Oregon. They eat from the bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, suet holders, and cat kibble. The cats are feral and cannot reach the bird feeders. They are interesting to watch, especially when they squabble among themselves. They seem to be dominate over all the other birds except the stellar jays.

First, I was most surprised to learn there are over 200 species around the world. Secondly, I was surprised to see so many brightly colored woodpeckers !  I would think the brighter colored ones would be more vulnerable to predation; but perhaps not as they have survived through thousands of years. Great material though.  I really enjoyed this first chapter overview of Woodpeckers.

I was surprised to learn that woodpeckers live in the tropics. Although it seems obvious, it never crossed my mind.

I didn’t realize how colorful different species of woodpeckers are. Living in Virginia, I typically think of woodpeckers as mostly black, white, and red.

I was surprised to learn about the quirky habits of the acorn woodpecker! I've seen them in Belize and Arizona but didn't know about their habit of obsessing over storing their acorns in granaries.

Red-bellied woodpecker’s toes, foot open, on banding day (photo by Kate St. John). Woodpecker Toes: Interesting feature: Their short legs usually have four toes, two pointed forward and two pointed backward, and sharp claws which enable them to cling easily to tree trunks and branches. What a increible support tool.

What surprised me most about all these woodpeckers is how similar certain species are despite being distantly related! I was aware at how similar Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers were, but I didn't know there were other examples as well!

I'm most surprised by how eclectic their diet is! I never knew, until getting through the "What Else Is on the Menu?: Other Animal Proteins " section, that they also eat small animals (including other birds' eggs, nestlings, and carrion).  I'm truly fascinated by their adaptability and advantages they enjoy.

Woodpeckers are my favorite birds. I had no idea how many species world-wide there are! This may sound silly bud I have also always been fascinated in the search for the possibly still extant ivory-billed woodpecker. My word for this week has been zygodactyl!