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Thursday, January 14, 2016

Questions

As we stand by the front window and watch the Hairy Woodpecker bang away at the deck railing we marvel that they don't get a concussion. If you have ever watched a woodpecker up close you can tell that they hammer away with their beaks at considerable force. They don't seem to suffer wry neck or concussions with this constant pounding. Doing a little research on the woodpecker I found out that their brain is surrounded by a thick platelet spongy bone that protects their brain from damage. Also their thick/strong neck muscles diffuse the blow as they make holes in wood.  They have a third inner eyelid that keeps their eye balls from popping out. So in actuality they are uniquely suited for what they do and that is peck holes in wood in search of insects.

They can become injured however when they fly into a glass window. I recall holding one and calming it for several hours that had flown into our window. It finally did survive but it took a lot of time keeping it from going into shock from the impact. Watching it come around after being knocked out was amazing. It took it quite a while to actually focus to see me even though I was holding it in my hand. Nature equips each species with unique characteristics that help it survive and thrive.  The Hairy Woodpecker is certainly not an exception and is specifically qualified for its survival. Finally when the female Hairy Woodpecker recovered enough to stand on its own and was able to focus its eyes, I placed it on a limb and soon there after it flew off to recover. This species is just one of many unique birds we have that surround our home.

5 comments:

Gypsy said...

I loved the woodpeckers I always had at my place in N. Carolina, but they sure can damage the trees.

Bruce said...

When we lived in the south Gypsy the biggest woodpeckers we had were the pileated woodpecker. We had one go after the wood siding on our house and it was knocking out wood chips the size of my finger. Those guys are like a flying jack hammer.

Pat said...

Always wondered... And have you ever wondered how water fowl endure with their feet in icy waters? They have a dual blow flow system that cools the blood when it flows into their feet (so the water doesn't feel cold) and warms it as it enters back into the body... fascinating.

Bruce said...

Wonder how you would go about getting that dual blow system installed in our feet. When I work outside my feet always get cold first....

JO said...

We have several different breeds of woodpeckers here and the sure do lots of damage to homes with wood siding. It was good to read about how their heads, eyes and necks are protected.