Designed for drilling wood

The woodpecker is a bird with a strong beak that is used to drill into wood, creating small holes to extract insects that hide in the bark of trees with its fine tongue. It stands out for the striking color of its feathers, which can range from orange to bright green or purple. There are also them in other shades, such as yellow, pink and red.

The size of these birds varies according to the species, some only measure 20 cm and others reach up to 70 cm. The beak of woodpeckers is much longer, stronger and sharper than that of other birds.

Fun facts

• They can hit a tree up to 20 times per second. This is because in the back of the beak and in front of the woodpecker’s brain, there is a bone that allows them to peck quickly without hurting themselves.
• The woodpecker’s tail is short and square, a shape that helps the bird keep its balance while hitting trees. In fact, he uses it as a third leg that gives him the same support that the tail of the monkeys does.
• The neck is stiff and the muscles do not allow the head to rotate freely like other birds. The firm and strong neck protects the spine from hitting.
• Depending on the area where it lives, this bird eats vegetables or insects. But termites, ant larvae and beetles are their favorite foods.
• They stick their ears to the tree in order to locate the insects that are inside the bark. After drilling the surface, they introduce their tongue (full of spikes and very sticky) and drag the food to the beak.
• The woodpecker’s tongue is so long that it is half the length of its body, it is retractable and can be protruded out of its beak.