Roland Seitre / Hermit / Northern bald ibis (Geroniticus eremita) breeding project of the Jerez de la Frontera Zoo, Cadiz, Spain. Keeper with two chicks pecking his face, keepers wear ibis helmets to limit human impr...

Markus Varesvuo / Horned / Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus) two individuals fighting in water, Finland May

Markus Varesvuo / White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) being attacked by a Common Gull (Larus canus) in flight. Norway, July. Magic Moments book plate, page 51.

Mike Wilkes / Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) pecking at bark, searching for bugs under the bark, Warwickshire, UK

LYNN M. STONE / Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) in winter morning mist, showing aggression during courtship behaviour, Mississippi River, Minnesota, USA, February

Wild Wonders of Europe / Unterthiner / Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) pecking at juvenile, Lake Tysslingen, Sweden, March 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zacek / Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) pecking at tree trunk, Korouma, Posio, Finland, February 2009

Nick Upton / Herring gull (Larus argentatus) pecking at a Shore crab (Carcinus maenas) which it has caught in the Looe estuary at low tide, Cornwall, UK, June.

Markus Varesvuo / Twite (Carduelis flavirostris) pecking seed heads, Uto Finland November

Erlend Haarberg / Two Mew / Common gulls (Larus canus) one pecking other, Finnmark, Norway, May

Roland Seitre / Hermit / Northern bald ibis (Geroniticus eremita) breeding project of the Jerez de la Frontera Zoo, Cadiz, Spain. Keeper with two chicks pecking his face, keepers wear ibis helmets to limit human impr...

Roland Seitre / Hermit / Northern bald ibis (Geroniticus eremita) breeding project of the Jerez de la Frontera Zoo, Cadiz, Spain. Keeper with two chicks pecking his face, keepers wear ibis helmets to limit human impr...

Kathryn Jeffs / Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) adult pecking off piece of ice, Antarctica, February, Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series

Kathryn Jeffs / Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) adult pecking off piece of ice, Antarctica, February, Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series

Grzegorz Lesniewski / Pair of Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius), one inside the nest and one on tree trunk, with wood dust from their pecking at the tree. Bialowieza Forest, Poland, July.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Six month juvenile Common / Eurasian crane (Grus grus) 'Christmas shoes' recently released by the Great Crane Project onto the Somerset Levels and Moors, pecking adult crane cut out decoy in set-aside...

Ernie Janes / Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) three drakes squabbling, UK

Dave Watts / Black Currawong (Strepera fuliginosa) pecking at lichen. Tasmania, Australia, February.

Ernie Janes / Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)pecking at the wood of a nesting box, UK

Ernie Janes / Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)pecking at the wood of a nesting box, UK

Nick Upton / Two Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) drakes fighting and pecking each other on grassy margin of ornamental lake. Corsham Court, Wiltshire, UK, March.

Brent Stephenson / Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami) perched in a tree pecking at fruits. Kingfisher Park, Queensland, Australia, April.

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Common / Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) chick, ten weeks, pecking adult crane cut out decoy in feeding posture. Captive reared by the Great Crane Project, WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK, July 2011.

Bruno D'Amicis / Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides trydactilus) pecking for Bark Beetle (Curculionidae). Western Tatras, Slovakia, April.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Hermansen / Gannet (Morus bassanus) pecking another, Saltee Islands, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zacek / Black woodpecker (Dryocopos martius) pecking tree trunk, Korouma, Posio, Finland, February 2009 Finland, February 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zacek / Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) pecking at tree trunk, Korouma, Posio, Finland, February 2009

Tim Laman / Crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) climbing up the arm of Jessica Laman (4 years) and pecking her clothes, Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. Model released August 2008

John Waters / Common starling {Sturnus vulgaris} anting, pecking at ant's nest to rub ants into plumage to clear parasites from feathers, juvenile, captive bird, Somerset, UK

John Waters / Common starling {Sturnus vulgaris} anting, pecking at ant's nest to rub ants into plumage to clear parasites from feathers, juvenile, captive bird, Somerset, UK

Tim Laman / A sleeping Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) moulting, and a Galapagos yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia aureola) pecking at the sea lion's skin. Champion Islet off Floreana (Cha...

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Antarctic Skua (Catharacta antarctica) pecking torn flesh on bloody nose of Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) bull wounded during fight for access to females, St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia Is...

Dave Bevan / Blackbird (Turdus merula) two females fighting, Wales, UK, February

Dave Bevan / Blackbird (Turdus merula) two females fighting, Wales, UK, February

Rolf Nussbaumer / Male Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) making a hole in a tree, Burlington, North Carolina, USA. January 2005

Tom Vezo / Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) male excavating nest site, Costa Rica

Dietmar Nill / Evidenc of Black woodpecker tree damage(Dryocopus martius) Germany

Hermann Brehm / Black woodpecker {Dryocopus martius} pecking out nest hole in tree, Germany

Hermann Brehm / Black woodpecker {Dryocopus martius} pecking out nest hole in tree, Germany

Jane Burton / Light Sussex hen {Gallus gallus domesticus} and chicks pecking grain

Flip de Nooyer / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) feeding on ice to get water, Antarctica

Flip de Nooyer / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) feeding on ice to get water, Antarctica

Matthias Breiter / Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) on tree trunk, Orr, Minnesota

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani) pecking on tree trunk in rainforest, Costa Rica

Konrad Wothe / Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) eating seeds from a pine cone, Europe

Barrie Britton / Dunnock male pecks female so she ejects sperm from previoius mating with another male; this male then mates with her. From BBC TV programme 'Life of Birds'

Onne van der Wal / A bird pecking, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean. December 2006.

Dave Bevan / Magpie (Pica pica) feeding on dead rabbit beside road, pecking out the eye, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, February

Dave Bevan / Magpie (Pica pica) feeding on dead rabbit beside road, pecking out the eye, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, February