I saw a big old pileated woodpecker knocking holes in an apple tree this morning and I got to wondering; What is it about woodpecker phisiology that allows them to use their heads as hammers without knocking themselves silly? I’ve heard a few strange opinions concerning this, and the ‘Handbook of Birds’ doesn’t cover it. Any insights?
Following is a semi-WAG I believe I saw on a TV show once upon a time…
I think that they have a spongy area inside their skulls that acts as a shock absorber.
I wouldn’t bet my mortgage payment on it, though.
Phisiologically Woody’s high protein, high caloric diet gives him the ability to utilize powerful,rapid and repetitive movements of his neck muscles. Sorry. You probably wanta know how come he don’t beat his brains out.
Anatomically,in relation to non peckers,he has a heavy,solid,chisel shaped beak. His skull is thicker and more solid.Most birdies have thin light hollow bones.The flicker is the least bony of the peckers and does a lot of ground feeding,they love ants . Between his bill and his skull is a soft spongy cushion.His brain doesn’t float in liquid like ours,his is suspended in a tough membrane,sort of like an internal crash helmet. Nostrils are protected from saw dust by bristles that also shield his eyes. He can turn his outside toes backwrds to grip the tree and his tail has siff strong spines that make a solid tripod.He does have powerful neck muscles. A long spiny pointed tongue for getting bugs out. Some debate about his hearing,how come he don’t go deef? Birds aren’t known for their hearing generally, but a Piliated can be heard for miles,and lots of them bang hollow pipes to claim territory,imagine being 1/4 inch away.Some think he can hear the bugs chewing in the tree,others say he raps and listens for them to move,others that he just pecks around listening for hollowness. Then others say he doesn’t hear it at all but feels the vibrations of the bugs and feels for softness. Others say that he doesn’t hear the frequencies peculiar to rapping ( physiological ,that) but then they use rapping as a signal . SO…
Usually a wood pecker is doing your tree a lot more good than harm,aside from eating the bugs,he is removing diseased and dead wood,he’d rather drill there than solid sound wood. But all of them do like fresh sap and will dril small holes to get at it. Sapsuckers can girdle and kill good sized limbs.They like to drill a good sized hole , let sap collect,they return frequently for a sip and the bugs it attracts.
Psychologically; the woodpecker doesn’t seem to have the need to stay up all night drinking and carousing, so rarely wakes up with a hangover. ( " Oh,bird, it feels like a hundred humans are in my head") Except for the sap sucker who has been none to over embibe on sap that has been waiting long enough to ferment.The sap! Piliated,huh? Now THAT is a woodpecker. The ivorybill was twice as big. it is barely possible that the ivorybill still IS somewhere way up in the East Texas piney woods. Sorry to get so woody,er,wordy. But woodpeckers is neat birds.Ha ha ha HAW HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
“Pardon me while I have a strange interlude.”-Marx
We rarely see woodpeckers but we had one last weekend pecking the heck out of a limb in the lilacs. Thanks, Mr. John, I think I’m gonna enjoy watching them more, now that you’ve explained what they’re doing.
We were kinda surprised to see him (her?), as cold as it’s been.
If there is a woodpecker whacking away at a house or other wooden structure, listen to the noise it makes. If it is a loud hollow drumming sound, he’s merely showing off for the ladies. If, however the sound is a muted thumping, it’d be a good idea to call the exterminator to take a look at the structure.
Chances are, there’re termites or borers feasting on the house/garage/barn, and the woodpecker is feasting on the bugs.
FixedBack
“Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before.”~~*G.K.Chesterton *