woodhewer: any of numerous South American and Central American birds with a curved bill and stiffened tail feathers that climb and feed like woodpeckers
passerine: perching birds mostly small and living near the ground with feet having 4 toes arranged to allow for gripping the perch; most are songbirds; hatchlings are helpless
first strike: the initial use of nuclear weapons to attack a country that also has nuclear weapons; considered feasible only when the attacker can destroy the other country's ability to retaliate