Meet Our Wonderful Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are known for tapping on tree trunks in order to find insects living in crevices in the bark and to excavate nest cavities. Being a redhead who hangs out in the woods, I can easily relate to this percussional Picidae (the bird family that woodpeckers belong to). Everyone recognizes you; woodworking tools are an essential accessory; and berries, nuts, fruit, and bugs are the highlight of the day. Personally, I like my fruit, berries and nuts over ice cream. We’ll leave the bugs outside. So how much do you know about the wonderful woodpeckers?

In our park we have seven species of woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-headed, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, and Pileated). Most stay year-round and can transition their diet from bugs to nuts if needed. The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, however may go farther south since they attract bugs to sap that oozes from the holes they drill into trees. Unlike their woodpecker cousins, Flickers hang out mostly on the ground lapping up ants and probing into ant hills with their long tongue.

Our local woodpeckers have some amazing adaptations to thrive in our woods.
• Their long straight chisel-like beak can carve and pry into trees but are also useful to extract insects and larvae.
• Very long tongues with saliva coated barbs allow the birds to "worm" their way into hard to reach places. Their tongue is so long that it wraps around their skull.
• Four toes with sharp nails (two forward and two behind) help woodpeckers cling to trees.
• Woodpeckers have bristle-like feathers over their nostrils to keep wood pieces from being inhaled.
• They also have stiff tail feathers that help prop and brace the woodpecker against the tree.
• A woodpecker’s bill strikes a tree at an amazing 12 mph when drumming.
• The average woodpecker is able to peck up to 20 pecks per second. Some species drum on trees to communicate to other woodpeckers and as a part of their courtship behavior.
• Woodpeckers tap an estimated 8,000-12,000 times per day. On average, woodpeckers live from 4-11 years. That comes out to about 14,570,000-40,060,000 taps during a woodpecker’s lifespan.
• The woodpecker is able to peck without headaches due to their reinforced skulls structured to spread the force of the impact and air pockets that help to cushion the woodpeckers brain.
• Woodpeckers create new holes every year. Their old cavities become homes for other cavity nesting birds such as chickadees, bluebirds, wrens, owls, and others.
• Woodpeckers have a characteristic wing-beat pattern while flying: 3 flaps and glide, 3 flaps and glide.
Woodpeckers may be loud and destructive at times but they help keep bugs from taking over the world and they’re cheaper than exterminators.