OK, 3 woodpecker facts to help you impress your work colleagues, whilst making a cup of coffee at work.
1. Woodpeckers don’t eat wood, they just peck at wooden trunks to find yummy bugs and sap hiding deep within the bark of the tree.
2. Woodpeckers have reinforced skulls structured to spread the impact force, and their brains are tightly cushioned and protected, which is handy because they can peck up to 20 times per second.
3. The majority of woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet (sounds like a dinosaur description to me). Two toes face the front and another two the back, which helps them grip trees and poles vertically. Combined with a stiff feathered tail and their zygodactyl feet they embrace the tree to enable them to climb vertically.
I love the woodpecker facts as well. I can’t wait to zing one out.
Let me know if it impressed. If on the other hand, they think you’re some kind of wierd woodpecker facts nerd, feel free to keep it to yourself.
Marti. 🙂
I think I may already be a wierd woodpecker facts nerd. I’ve seen a pileated woodpecker a few times in my life and got overly excited by the sighting, so it’s probably too late for me. :+)