Illinois Woodpeckers

1. Which of these is NOT an adaption that allows woodpeckers to probe for insects and larvae?

2. Woodpecker feet have two toes pointing forward and two backward, unlike songbirds which have three toes forward and one backward. This feature helps them hop on and cling to tree bark and galls and other places while searching for food or excavating nest holes. What is this toe pattern called?

3. The most common woodpecker in Illinois lives year-round in backyards and woodlands. It also will feed in open fields. It utters a descending trill and a sharp “pick” call.

4. This woodpecker is likely one of the top two most common woodpeckers Illinois birders encounter year-round and may be one of the most noticeable woodpeckers because of its loud, churry calls and somewhat large size of about 10 inches in length.

5. This woodpecker most often inhabits mature woodlands, but it can be found in suburban areas where feeders and large trees are available. It rarely ventures into fields. It has the unusual habit of peeling away bark to extract insect eggs, larvae and adult insects.

6. This is the only Illinois woodpecker that hides food, such as acorns and insects, in crevices for later snacking. It prefers open forest understory. Listen for its distinctive loud “querr” call in open woodlands.

7. Listen for this woodpecker’s loud, laughter-like “yuckayuckayucka” call resonating in the woods. A telltale sign of this woodpecker is the large, rectangular-shaped nesting and feeding cavities in trees it creates while chiseling for its favorite meal, carpenter ants and large beetle larvae.

8. A scientist once recorded more than 5,000 ants in the stomach of one of this species of woodpecker. This woodpecker is fun to watch as it hops on the ground to grab ants or flies from tree trunks and branches to catch insects in the air.

9. This woodpecker is a common Illinois migrant, but some have always over-wintered in the state, especially in far southern areas and recently have begun wintering farther north. They often make a high-pitched nasal sound, and during breeding season they have a territorial squealing call that resembles a high-pitched meow.

10. This western woodpecker drew large crowds of birders and photographers to Ballard Nature Center (Effingham County) when it appeared—and remained for several days—at a feeding station.