Woodpeckers birds can peck at wood up to 20 times a second. They do this to find food and make their homes. But there’s more to it than just that.
Woodpeckers have a type of ‘gene expression’ that’s similar to what’s seen in songbirds. While songbirds use their gene expression to attract partners with their singing, woodpeckers do it by pecking and drumming on wood. It’s like their own version of Morse code.
With over 200 different woodpecker species around the globe, each one has its own unique pecking rhythm and speed depending on what they want to say.
The tongue is one of the strongest muscles in the human body. But when it comes to a woodpecker’s tongue, that’s a whole different level of intrigue.
This bird has a super long and sticky tongue that it uses to pull out and eat insects hiding in the holes it makes with its bill. The surface of their tongues is lined with barbs that help snag their food.
There’s another amazing function of this tongue, and that’s to protect the bird’s skull. The tongue can be as long as one-third of the woodpecker’s body length.
How does it shield the skull?
The tongue is so lengthy that it wraps around the skull, acting as a cushion against impacts and safeguarding the brain.
Woodpecker’s tongue as a stretched-out piece of bubble wrap. When the muscles around the bird’s tongue bone contract, it makes the long tongue hold the woodpecker’s spine and skull steady while it continuously pecks at the tree.
It’s not just the tongue that keeps the bird safe. There are also soft bones at the front and back of the skull that help distribute the shock from the impacts.
The woodpecker is a remarkable example from nature that highlights the science behind cushioning impacts.
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