woodpecker

American  

[wood-pek-er] / ˈwʊdˌpɛk ər /

noun

• woodpeckers
  plural

1. any of numerous climbing birds of the family Picidae, having a hard, chisel-like bill that it hammers repeatedly into wood in search of insects, stiff tail feathers to assist in climbing, and usually more or less boldly patterned plumage.

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woodpecker British  

/ ˈwʊdˌpɛkə /

noun

1. any climbing bird of the family Picidae, typically having a brightly coloured plumage and strong chisel-like bill with which they bore into trees for insects: order Piciformes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• woodpeckers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of woodpecker

First recorded in 1520–30; wood ¹ + pecker

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Explanation

Woodpeckers are birds that use their sharp bills to drill holes in trees so they can forage for insects. While woodpeckers are occasionally considered pests, they actually protect trees against infestation.. There are over 200 species of woodpecker, most of which live in wooded areas. They vary in appearance, but many have black and white feathers and a bright red cap. One thing all woodpeckers have in common is the ability to peck holes in a tree trunk hard enough so they can reach the tasty insects and grubs inside with their long tongues. If you hear a faint tapping as you walk through the forest, it's probably a woodpecker!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

woodpecker woodpeckers

Along with the passenger pigeon we exterminated the great auk, the Carolina parakeet, the Labrador duck and the ivory-billed woodpecker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

Bagpuss and his companions, including a woodpecker called Professor Yaffle and Madeleine the rag doll, will "stir from their slumber to find themselves in contemporary Britain", the announcement said.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025

But also be on the lookout for a pesky woodpecker.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

He points out a hairy woodpecker pounding away at a snag.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 1, 2023

Meanwhile, he hammered at his statements with the small obsession of a woodpecker.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

The residents watched the same deer, coyotes and woodpeckers and played tennis and swam with the same dramatic backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

An estimated 25 bird species, including ladder-backed woodpeckers, loggerhead shrikes and western screech owls, nest in their trunks and branches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2024

She provides shelter, nesting materials, and food to myriad juncos, black-capped chickadees, chestnut-backed chickadees, nuthatches, Bewick’s wrens, towhees, all our native woodpeckers, various migratory birds, pollinators, and so many other wildlife.

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024

She says she now never sees less common species like treecreepers, nuthatches and green woodpeckers in her garden.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024

Even the woodpeckers that had been tapping around me all morning were silent.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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