The woodpecker is one of the most mesmerizing bird species in nature. As the name suggests, woodpeckers enjoy pecking at wood, as well as other surfaces, on occasion. Despite what some might believe, though, these birds don’t eat the wood they peck, begging the question: Why do woodpeckers peck wood, exactly?

There are three main reasons:

• In search of food
• In search of a place to build a nest
• To attract mates and establish territory

There are 200 different woodpecker species around the world. In nature, the lifespan of these birds varies from 4 to 12 years.

Forests and woodland environments are home to the majority of woodpeckers. Further, most woodpeckers spend the entire year in the same region. It’s difficult to evict a woodpecker from its territory, in fact!

Woodpeckers can make a wide range of alarm sounds, but they’re mostly known for drumming, which we’ll be discussing shortly. 

Although many people believe that woodpeckers eat wood, this isn’t the case. The birdies use their beaks to drill holes in wood. It allows them to build nesting holes cavities and it enables them to catch bugs and larvae.

Woodpeckers have a pecking pace of roughly 20 pecks per second. They peck somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000 times every day!

What Does the Pecking Mean?

Woodpeckers use pecking as a means of communication.

There are different reasons why woodpeckers peck. Oftentimes, they’re looking for something to eat. Other times, they’re trying to build a nest or find a partner.

If you observe closely, the way these birds peck reveals why they’re behaving the way they are.

In Search of Food

Woodpeckers don’t make holes in healthy trees. They’ll gnaw at wood that is infested by bugs. If a tree has a bug infestation, it’s in bad health and on the verge of dying, after all.

Woodpeckers hunt for larvae in the summer. Many bugs hibernate for the winter in cracks in the fall and spring but wander around on cold nights.

When woodpeckers detect insect movements, they make small holes in the tree. They then grab the insects they want with their long tongues. The holes are horizontal and in a straight line.

Different species of woodpeckers consume other nutrients found inside trees, such as tree sap. Some birds will feed on fruit or seeds.

Some woodpecker species dig deep holes in the trees to store food. They guard these areas and hide the openings by covering them with wood.

Nesting and Mating

Woodpeckers use pecking to create their nests. The birds will make nests inside the trees, where the cover protects the birds from the environment. The birds also peck to notify others that the area is their territory.

Another reason why woodpeckers peck is to find a mate after they’ve made a nest. You’ll hear this kind of pecking most often during the mating season in spring.

Woodpeckers build their nests in holes that they create themselves. When they dig a single large, big hole, it may be a sign that they’re working to build a nest. The birds generally lay 6 to 8 eggs at a time.

Which Trees Do Woodpeckers Like?

Pine trees attract woodpeckers because of their sweet sap and pine nuts. They also enjoy acorns from oak trees. Cedar and redwood are also appealing to them.

Snags, dead trees, and stumps are all good places for them to build their nests. They empty the rotten wood and nest inside.

What Is Drumming?

Drumming trees is a behavior that both woodpecker sexes do. Drumming is when they peck in a rhythm. This action serves as a means of communication since woodpeckers lack vocal cords.

They usually select a dry, brittle tree and pound on it with repeated bursts of drumming. Drumming on metal or wood structures is most common in the spring. This happens to attract mates during the mating season in March or April.

The drumming might happen several times in a single day and can persist for days or months.

Woodpeckers would pound against a metal object. It’s to make a statement that this is their territory. The pecking of the metal object makes the loudest noise possible to scare others.

Although woodpecker drumming doesn’t cause much harm, the noises can be annoying.

Different species have different drumming rhythms. Sapsuckers play a rhythmic drum that pauses and plays at a different tempo. They usually do it in an unusual sequence. A quick drum-roll sound is used by Hairy Woodpeckers.

Do Woodpeckers Cause Damage?

In most cases, woodpeckers produce only minor damage. However, if they get access to your home, they may do unwelcome harm. While they won’t cause substantial damages, they may harm vital items, like the power wiring.

Trees

As mentioned before, woodpeckers don’t usually peck on fully healthy trees. The wood within the tree is either dead or infested with insects. The internal damage is insufficient to cause damage to the tree’s external surface.

Woodpeckers are utilized by certain park rangers as an alert system for unhealthy trees. The park rangers remove diseased trees before they collapse with the aid of woodpecker behavior.

Houses

Woodpeckers don’t distinguish between trees and other types of wood. As a result, they might cause damage to your home.

The holes create an increased risk of insect infestation as they provide an entry point to your home. Rainwater could enter the house through these holes, causing mold development.

Other concerns could develop as well. However, these incidents occur in rare cases and the damages are usually minimal.

They can also cause damage to other non-wood materials such as metal. Water pipes, plumbing systems, and electrical cables can be damaged by a determined woodpecker.

A sequence of little and deep holes is the norm of woodpecker drills. These holes have a horizontal or vertical pattern. Bigger nesting cavities, on the other hand, may exist.

The noise and the consistency of the openings will state that the harm is caused by the drilling birds.

How Can Woodpeckers Withstand the Pecking?

You might be wondering how a woodpecker can peck for so long without becoming wounded or even exhausted. This is due to the bird’s anatomy, which allows it to resist the violent pecking it undergoes on a daily basis.

Each part of the bird’s body serves a purpose in ensuring the bird’s safety.

Feet

Woodpeckers have two forward toes and two backward toes. Their toes’ anatomy makes it easy for them to hold the side of a tree.

These are known as zygodactyl feet, in which the feet can look like an X. It helps them to balance as they peck.

Beak

The beak of a woodpecker has two layers. The exterior is hard and rigid, similar to a shell, while the interior is soft.

A spongy bone sits behind the beak, absorbing most of the force of the pecking. As a result, they may peck 10,000 times a day without injuring themselves.

Head

There’s fluid between the woodpecker’s skull and brain. There’s also a muscle-wrapped bone that transmits vibrations to the back of the skull and the tongue. The skull contains air pockets that protect the brain from trauma.

Tongue

Their tongue is made up of nine thin bones. It enables them to reach deep further into the tree with their tongue.

Woodpeckers have tongues that are about twice the length of their beaks. It helps them to reach the pests inside the cavities they dig out. Their tongues are around 4 inches long.

The lengthy tongue coils around the skull and the skin when the tongue is resting.

Their tongues are sticky. Most woodpeckers have thorny tongues or sticky secretions on their tongues. These features assist them to take out bugs from their place.

Hearing

Woodpeckers have exceptional hearing and can easily detect bugs in the bark. They use sounds to find their target and determine where to begin pecking to get to their food.

Nose

The noses of woodpeckers are hairy. Feathers protect their nostrils to prevent wood pieces and dust out while they dig.

Summary