WOODPECKERS I15 
Forest-dwellers, like their allies, they feed 
upon fruit, seeds, insects, bark, and buds; but 
so noiseless are they said to be when feeding 
that their presence is betrayed only by the 
falling of berries they have accidentally released. 
It is interesting to note that the geographical 
range of the barbet is much wider than that of 
its immediate allies, extending through tropical 
Asia, Africa, and America. 
The Woodpecker Tribe constitutes a large 
group, generally divided into two sections — the 
WOODPECKERS and the WRYNECKs. 
The former are characterised by their large 
heads and very powerful bills and long and ex- 
ceedingly stiff tails. The feet are also peculiar, 
two toes pointing directly forwards and two 
backwards. Beak, feet, and tail are all specially 
adapted to the peculiar habits of these birds, 
which pass their lives upon trees, climbing the 
trunks, and searching the interstices of the bark 
vi 
Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons 
A FAMILY OF GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKERS 
This woodpecker 1s a British spectes 
Photo by 4. 8. Rudland & Sons 
HONEY-GUIDE 
The name is bestowed on account of its remarkable habit of drawing 
on to bees’ nests 
for ants, or drilling holes into the un- 
sound portions of the trunk itself for 
the purpose of extracting the grubs 
which feed upon decaying wood. 
That ants and other small insects 
form the staple diet of the woodpecker 
is evident from theextraordinary length 
of the tongue. This is a long, worm- 
like structure, capable of being pro- 
truded many inches from the beak,and 
covered with asticky secretion, so that, 
thrust into colonies of ants, it quickly 
becomes covered with them,to be with- 
drawn immediately into the mouth 
and cleared again for further action. 
Woodpeckers are all birds of 
bright plumage, some particularly 
so, and have a wide geographical 
distribution, inhabiting all parts of 
the world save Madagascar, the 
Australasian region, and Egypt. 
Three species occur in the British 
Islands, though they are exceedingly 
rare in Scotland and Ireland. The 
GREEN WOODPECKER is a particularly 
handsome bird. Grass-green is the 
predominating colour of its livery, 
relieved by a light scarlet cap, a 
golden patch over the lower part of 
the back, and chequered bars on the 
wings and quills. 
