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

Etymology

Origin of woodpecker

First recorded in 1520–30; wood ¹ + pecker

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

It’s not too late to save the whooping crane, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the piping plover or any of the other 86 birds on the U.S.

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

In warm weather, it’s alive with nuthatches, chickadees, sometimes a downy woodpecker.

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024

“If only, if only, ” the woodpecker sighs, “The bark on the tree was just a little bit softer. ”

From "Holes" by Louis Sachar

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

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

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024

Snag-reliant woodpeckers are of particular importance among those species, acting as ecosystem engineers through their foraging and nesting activities.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2024

Hanson said seedlings are rising from the ashes in high-severity patches of fire and the dead wood provides habitat for imperiled spotted owls, Pacific fishers and rare woodpeckers.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2023

Axel races across the room, flings open the basement door, all the while his stomach fills with woodpeckers all trying to hammer out of him.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers