Woodpeckers are found almost all over the world. They are specialized in climbing and drilling, both in their body structure and behavior. With their beaks, woodpeckers can break into the larval tunnels of wood-boring insects, carve out sleeping and nesting cavities, and produce drumming sounds. Their long tongues have a catching mechanism that allows them to extract insects from deep crevices, cracks, and holes. In forest and forest edge ecosystems, woodpeckers play a key role. Many animal species, from hornets to bats, benefit from their drilling activities in old and dead wood, both in terms of food sourcing and the provision of living and shelter spaces. Based on this knowledge, conservation measures have been developed to preserve and promote old wood islands, thereby combining species and habitat protection.