Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport + Encore Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2
Go deep into the woods to explore the lives of a unique avian family. Woodpeckers come in 239 species and live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia, playing a powerful role in every ecosystem they inhabit. They come in all shapes and sizes, each uniquely engineered for their particular lifestyles. Filmmaker Ann Johnson Prum (NATURE "Super Hummingbirds") pecks away at what makes these birds so special through the intimate stories of woodpecker families across the world. NATURE "Woodpeckers: The Hole Story" is narrated by Paul Giamatti.
Featured Woodpeckers:
- Pileated woodpecker
- Black woodpecker
- Downy woodpecker
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker
- Hairy woodpecker
- Acorn woodpecker
- Lewis’s woodpecker
- Gila woodpecker
- Andean flicker
Buzzworthy Moments:
- Black woodpeckers in Poland are elusive and have rarely been filmed. A pair of these large, imposing birds make a home in a beech tree, where they feed their hungry chicks.
- Acorn woodpeckers love to collect acorns and "tattoo” them into the holes they create in trees. The acorns are woodpecker gold - high in vitamins, minerals, fats and protein. Placing these acorns into trees helps this food last throughout the winter.
- Gila woodpeckers make their homes in cacti in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. After carving out the nest cavity in between the spines, the Gila must wait several months for the inner pulp to dry into a tough leathery casing before moving in.
Noteworthy Facts:
- There are 239 species of woodpeckers, and they live on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
- Woodpeckers talk to each other by drumming. Each species taps out its own rhythm to stake out a territory and call for a mate.
- Holes are the woodpeckers’ universal trademark. No matter where they live, every woodpecker makes a hole for a home.
Courtesy of Russell Kaye / Courtesy of The WNET Group/Courtesy of Russell Kaye / Courtesy of The WNET GroupAcorn woodpecker nestlings in nest. Carmel, Calif.
Watch On Your Schedule: This episode is available on demand with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members supporting KPBS at $60 or more yearly, using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.
Credits: A production of The WNET Group, Blue Ant Media and Coneflower Productions for Love Nature. The documentary is produced by Ann Johnson Prum. Edited by Jim Isler and written by Janet Hess. Narrated by Paul Giamatti. NATURE is a production of The WNET Group. Fred Kaufman is executive producer. Bill Murphy is series producer and Janet Hess is series editor.
