When do woodpeckers peck food?

There are few birds that are so specialized as the woodpecker. These birds are rarely seen away from the trees that they need to supply their food and nest sites. They are particularly noted for their habit of probing for insects in tree bark and chiseling nest holes in dead wood.

Most woodpeckers spend their entire lives in trees, spiraling up the tree trunks in search of insects. In the spring you can hear the loud calls of woodpeckers, often accompanied by drumming on hollow wood or occasionally on metal. These are the sounds that are associated with the males marking their territories. Most woodpeckers tend to be rather solitary or travel in pairs.

The green woodpecker’s tongue is long and sticky, with a barbed point. It probes into anthills and the ants are dragged out and swallowed. When not being used the tongue winds back, liked a coiled spring, into a groove under the top of the woodpecker’s skull.

Fact File:

Most woodpeckers eat insects, but some feed on fruits and berries, and sapsuckers regularly feed on sap from certain trees in some seasons.

 

Picture Credit : Google