Hummingbirds and woodpeckers may seem like very different types of birds, but they actually share some key characteristics and adaptations. In this article, we’ll explore the similarities between these two unique bird species.
Bills and Tongues
One of the most obvious things hummingbirds and woodpeckers have in common is that they both have specialized bills and tongues. Hummingbirds have long, slender bills that are perfectly adapted for reaching into flowers to lap up nectar. Their tongues are also long and forked, allowing them to retrieve the nectar.
Woodpeckers have strong, chisel-like bills that are ideal for drilling into and hammering on wood. They use their bills to excavate nesting cavities and find insects under bark. Woodpeckers also have exceptionally long tongues that wrap around their skull when retracted. Their tongues have barbs on the end for grabbing insects deep inside holes in trees.
Flight Abilities
In addition to specialized bills and tongues, hummingbirds and woodpeckers share some impressive flight capabilities. Hummingbirds are able to hover in midair and fly backwards, sideways, straight up, and straight down. This allows them to efficiently feed on flower nectar while staying right in front of the blossom.
Woodpeckers may not hover, but they have incredibly strong flight muscles and stiff tail feathers that allow them to adeptly fly between vertical surfaces. They use their specialized flight abilities to find insects on the sides of trees and cling to trunks and branches.
Habitats
Hummingbirds and woodpeckers both thrive in forested habitats filled with flowering plants and trees. Hummingbirds prefer open meadows, mountainsides, and backyards where they can flit from flower to flower. Woodpeckers live predominantly in mature forests, parks, and wooded neighborhoods where they can find plenty of trees for shelter, food, and nesting.
Food
The diet of hummingbirds consists mainly of nectar and tiny insects like gnats, fruit flies, aphids, and spider webs. They use their slender bills and forked tongues to slurp up sugary nectar, often consuming more than their body weight each day. To get protein, they will eat small insects too.
Woodpeckers are also omnivores, but they eat primarily insects like beetle larvae, ants, caterpillars, and spiders. They use their chisel-like bills to hammer away at deadwood and expose the insects inside to eat. They also drink tree sap for energy.
Nesting
Hummingbirds and woodpeckers share some neat tricks when it comes to nesting. Hummingbirds build tiny, cup-shaped nests out of spiderwebs, lichen, and plant down. The nests stretch and expand as the baby birds grow. This allows the nest to adjust to the babies’ needs.
Woodpeckers excavate holes in tree trunks to create their nests. These cavities provide protection from weather and predators. Many other species, like swallows and bluebirds, will then use old woodpecker cavities for their own nests. So woodpeckers help provide nesting sites for other birds.
Migration
Many, but not all, hummingbird species migrate annually to avoid harsh winters. Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel all the way from Canada and the eastern U.S. to Mexico and Central America. This is an incredibly long journey for such a tiny bird! They fly nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico at around 25 miles per hour.
Most woodpeckers do not migrate and instead tough out the winter close to home. However, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is one migratory woodpecker species. They breed in the northern parts of North America and migrate south to the southern U.S. states, Mexico, and Central America for winter.
Size
Both hummingbirds and woodpeckers are small birds, but hummingbirds take the cake for tiny size. The bee hummingbird holds the record as the world’s smallest bird, measuring just 2 inches long and weighing 0.07 ounces. The largest hummingbird species, the giant hummingbird, is 8 inches long.
In comparison, woodpeckers range from the relatively small downy woodpecker at 6-7 inches long to the imposing pileated woodpecker measuring 16-19 inches in length with a wingspan over 2 feet. So woodpeckers run a wide range of sizes, but they are larger on average than tiny hummingbirds.
Appearance
Hummingbirds are known for their iridescent plumage that flashes brightly in the sunlight. Depending on the species, they display vibrant colors like ruby red, vibrant green, sapphire blue, and metallic orange. Male hummingbirds are usually more vibrantly colored than females.
Woodpeckers have their own distinctive look with black and white plumage accented with red, yellow, or black and white stripes. Their stark black and white coloration serves as camouflage against the tree bark where they spend much of their time. Woodpeckers may not be as flashy as hummingbirds, but they have a very recognizable appearance.
Behavior
Hummingbirds are solitary animals outside of breeding season. They aggressively defend their feeding territories from intruders, including other hummingbirds. Within their territory, male hummingbirds perform elaborate courtship displays to attract potential mates. This includes aerial maneuvers and dives.
Woodpeckers are also somewhat solitary and territorial, but they drum on trees and use vocalizations to communicate with other birds. Groups of woodpeckers may also forage together peacefully in the same tree. Woodpeckers are less aggressive than hummingbirds overall in their behavior.
Threats
The small size and bright colors of hummingbirds unfortunately make them vulnerable to predators like hawks, falcons, and shrikes. As human development encroaches on their habitat, hummingbirds also face threats like pesticides, fences, windows, and outdoor cats.
The main threats facing woodpeckers are habitat loss and competition for nesting cavities. Logging, fire suppression, and urbanization can remove the mature trees woodpeckers rely on for food and shelter. Other bird species may compete with woodpeckers for the cavities they excavate for nesting and roosting.
Conservation Status
No hummingbird species is currently endangered, but some populations like the rufous hummingbird are declining. Providing hummingbird feeders, native plants, and habitat conservation can help hummingbird conservation.
A few woodpecker species like the ivory-billed woodpecker and red-cockaded woodpecker are critically endangered. Protecting mature forests and limiting logging are the most important conservation steps for threatened woodpeckers.
Key Differences
While hummingbirds and woodpeckers share some special characteristics and abilities, there are some key differences between these two types of birds:
- Hummingbirds drink nectar using a slender bill and forked tongue; woodpeckers eat insects pried out of wood with their chisel-like bill.
- Hummingbirds can hover and fly in any direction; woodpeckers have more limited flight but can cling to vertical surfaces.
- Hummingbirds have bright, flashy iridescent plumage; woodpeckers have stark black and white patterns.
- Hummingbirds are solitary and aggressively territorial; woodpeckers are more social and less aggressive.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds and woodpeckers represent two unique evolutionary adaptations to nectar-feeding and wood-drilling niches respectively. While they have key differences, they also share some similar characteristics and face overlapping conservation threats. Understanding the ties that bind these species can help us better protect the biodiversity of bird life for the future.