FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Imperial woodpeckers (Campephilus imperialis) could once be found throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range of Mexico. If it still exists, it would be the largest species of woodpecker, bigger even than the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Its scientific name is Campephilus imperialis and it is a member of the Picidae family. It prefers to live in the open forests of the Montezuma Pine. Like other Woodpeckers, it drums, pecks wood, preys on insects and larvae it found after scaling the bark of dead pine trees. and lives in nests it makes by drilling holes into tree trunks and branches.
Sadly, this glorious creature hasn’t been seen for a long time in the wild and has been categorized as critically endangered and some experts fear that it has perhaps undergone extinction due to the lack of any confirmed sightings. Here are some of the most interesting facts on the imperial woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis). Hereafter, do check our other articles on neon tetra facts and tetra facts as well.
The imperial woodpecker is a type of bird. It belongs to the family Picidae. It is a species of woodpecker birds that are famous for pecking at the wood at high speeds.
The imperial woodpecker belongs to the class of Aves (birds). This species is believed to be critically endangered but many experts perhaps believe that it has undergone extinction.
It is unclear whether there are any free birds of this species are left. The last imperial woodpecker was seen in the wild in the 1950s and it is believed to be extinct now in the entire world due to the lack of any confirmed sightings.
This bird species lived in Mexican forests with white oak trees and Durango pine trees in Western Mexico. The ivory-billed bird prefers to live in subtropical regions. They usually make their nest by pecking holes into tree barks or trunks.
Once, this free-spirited bird was widespread throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental range of mountains of Mexico. It was also found in forests and gardens of western temperate Eurasia, south to North Africa. But now there is no accurate information available on its habitat and it is feared to have gone extinct.
Imperial woodpeckers are solitary creatures, although sometimes this ivory-billed bird can form groups of up to four birds.
The Imperial Woodpecker’s average lifespan is about 155 months or 12-13 years. The imperial woodpecker searches for its food in the wild where it can be hunted.
The Imperial woodpecker usually bred between February and June and laid up to four eggs. Both parents help with incubation and raising the young birds. The incubation period is 12-14 days.
Is the imperial woodpecker extinct? Maybe. The imperial woodpecker, also called the Mexican ivory-billed woodpecker, is a Critically Endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is likely that the species might even be extinct since it hasn’t been sighted since the 1950s.
These birds have black and white feathers with a crest at the top of their head. The males have a red crest, whereas the female has a black crest curling forward.
Although the imperial woodpecker is a glorious creature, like its relatives, it is extremely loud, dangerous with its beak, which this bird uses to drill holes into tree trunks and branches. So, it is only slightly cute.
Woodpeckers, in general, are known for their drumming sound. The drumming sound is the sound the bird makes when they are pecking away at deadwood, hollow trees, among other things. While some birds sing, woodpeckers make this drumming noise to communicate. Woodpeckers make the drumming sounds to either attract mates or proclaim territory. Drumming can also be used between bonded woodpeckers to communicate when they are nearby to call for help or let their mate know that there is food nearby.
An imperial woodpecker is normally around 20-22 in (50-58cm) terms of length. This makes them as big as crows.
The imperial woodpecker can’t swim since this species can not swim. And they can’t fly very fast either. This bird likes to be perched on tree trunks and branches. The average speed at which a woodpecker can fly is about 18 mph (28kph). It is ten times as big as the smallest bird, which is the bee hummingbird.
The imperial woodpecker can weigh anywhere from 16-19 oz (450-540g). If it still exists, it is the largest species of woodpecker, even bigger than the ivory-billed woodpecker.
The male imperial woodpecker is called a cock, and the female imperial woodpecker is called a hen.
A baby imperial woodpecker can be called a fledgling or a nestling. However, it is sometimes called a chick as well.
Imperial woodpeckers and woodpeckers in the forest, in general, eat insects and bugs, particularly wood-boring insect larvae that they find underneath bark scaled from dead trees (pine trees in a forest in the case of imperial woodpeckers). Other species of woodpeckers, however, are known to eat spiders, birds’ eggs, caterpillars, and even small rodents, lizards, fruits, and nuts.
Woodpeckers are usually aggressive and antisocial birds that even chase their enemy and fight them off to proclaim territory. A species of woodpeckers, called the red-headed woodpeckers, are especially quarrelsome even towards other individuals of their own species.
An Imperial Woodpecker wouldn’t make a good pet and is even dangerous due to its harsh pecking. A woodpecker can peck at the rate of 20 times a second and hurt you if agitated. Further, since it has not been seen for a long time, it is possible the species is extinct.
The last imperial woodpecker and the largest woodpecker was last seen around the 1950s and if the imperial woodpecker still exists, it would be the biggest woodpecker species in the world. This glorious bird is about 20% bigger than the ivory-billed woodpecker and was a common sight in the montane forests of Mexico about 70 years ago.
The imperial woodpecker hasn’t been seen since the 1950s. There have been unconfirmed sightings of the birds in the last decade, but whether the Imperial Woodpecker was really seen isn’t clear. The last confirmed sighting was in 1956 in Durango.
The species is critically endangered (possibly extinct) because of loss of habitat and because they were hunted by humans. Continuous logging of large pines of the forests for their pulp and timber destroyed the imperial woodpecker’s habitat and made them a mystery bird that hasn’t been seen for almost 70 years.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including palm cockatoo facts or eastern meadowlark facts.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable imperial woodpecker coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.