Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois

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Fun Facts About Woodpeckers Woodpeckers rarely climb down trees. Their stiff tail feathers and relatively short legs are much better adapted for climbing upwards instead of down. The contrasting black and white pattern found on the backs of many woodpeckers helps to conceal them from predators. Knows as disruptive coloration, this sharp contrast in colors helps to break-up and conceal the shape and outline of a woodpecker as it climbs the side of a tree. Most woodpeckers' tongues are two to three times longer than their bills. Woodpeckers have a third eyelid to help protect their eyes from debris while drilling into trees. While excavating, a woodpecker's head can strike a tree's surface at speeds up to 13 - 15 mpg and do it at over 100 strokes per minute. THis is equivalent to a person crashing head-first into a tree while running at top speed! In order for woodpeckers to survive the 10 G's of force that they can sustain with every blow against a tree, they have the following special adaptations: The bones between the beak and the skull are joined by a flexible cartilage, which cushions the shock of each blow. The skull is made of spongy, air-filled bone. The brain is packed very tightly into the brain cavity, with little room to rattle around during impacts. The sheer force from each blow is directed not to the brain, but downward towards very strong neck muscles that act as shock absorbers. To avoid breaking its neck, a woodpecker's head and body are always in a perfectly straight alignment when hitting a tree.

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Wondrous Woodpeckers

Fall 2008 Newsletter

 

Woodpeckers may be the most aptly named bird around. Given their druthers, they will peck at wood for food – primarily the insects and beetle larvae they find yummy.
So how do their bodies handle all that pounding? They are well equipped! They have two toes that point backward and allow them to cling to tree trunks. They have special stiff tail feathers that support their bodies. Air bubbles in their skulls act as shock absorbers every time they slam a tree trunk with their beak. And their super-sticky tongues reach into the holes they create to dig out the delectable insects.

Of all the woodpeckers that call North America home, only a few regularly visit feeders. Red-bellied, hairy and downy woodpeckers are frequent feeder visitors, and all savor suet.

The red-bellied woodpecker really doesn’t have a red belly – just a pale rosy tint. This woodpecker is unusual in that it will sample about any food it finds. It eats seeds, fruit and insects and loves acorns when they are available. These woodpeckers use their tongues more than their beaks to find their food.

Downy and hairy woodpeckers have almost identical markings, although the hairy woodpecker is bigger than the downy woodpecker by about 2 inches. Hairy woodpeckers can find their food by feeling the vibrations made by insects moving about in trees or hearing the insects chewing on the wood! They also eat fruit, pinecone seeds and sometimes feed at wells made in trees by sapsuckers or at hummingbird feeders. Downy woodpeckers like to devour a fly larva that spends the winter in the woody galls atop goldenrod stems.

All woodpeckers pale in comparison to the incredible pileated woodpecker. This enormous bird feeds on insects found primarily in large trees or dead or fallen trees. It makes a characteristic fist-sized hole that’s rectangular in shape with curved edges. And as soon as it is done, other woodpeckers come in to finish the leftovers.

If you want to provide good habitat for woodpeckers, consider leaving the dead tree snags in and around your yard. One study has shown that a Downy Woodpecker needs at least four to five snags per acre to meet its needs for nesting and foraging.

Bird banding longevity records for woodpeckers:

•  Downy =11 years, 11 months
•  Hairy =15 years, 11 months
•  Pileated =12 years, 11 months
•  Red-headed =9 years, 11 months
•  Red-bellied =12 years, 1month
•  Northern Flicker =9 years, 2 months.

—Julie Bruser