Meet the most beautiful bird of the day Woodpecker with a fiery red crown on his head
The lesser flameback woodpecker (Dinopium benghalense) is found on the Indian subcontinent. And, like other woodpeckers, it is an amazing creature!
Why are woodpeckers so cool? They can smash their faces into trees, repeatedly, without causing themselves any harm! Technically, this means that they drill holes in trees with their bills to find insects or to create nests, but the drama is real!
To emphasize how remarkable this is, consider that the forces of impact from pecking a tree are HUGE. When a woodpecker’s bill hits a tree, the deceleration force can be up to 6,000 g (i.e. 6,000 times the force of gravity)! Plus, they do this repeatedly…approximately 20 times per second! In comparison, it only takes a single impact of 300 g for a human to receive severe brain damage.
How do they do this without suffering serious neck and brain damage?! Logically, the forces they exert should crumble their beaks, crack their skulls, and turn their brains to mush. Alas, these things don’t happen because woodpeckers have features that protect them:
1. Beak: Their beaks are hard, but elastic. Their upper and lower beaks differ slightly in length and density. The longer upper beak changes shape on impact, just before the stronger, lower beak hits. This one-two punch redirects 99% of the force of the collision away from the woodpecker’s brain.
2. Tongue: Woodpeckers have an extended tongue that wraps completely around their skull and acts like a shock-absorber for their brains. It’s sort of the equivalent to bubble wrap, but better. Furthermore, their tongues press against their jugular veins, causing fluid build-up, and resulting in further cushioning.
3. Hyoid: The hyoid supports the throat and tongue, but also protects the brain by stabilizing the cranium and spine…Kind of like a seat belt for their brains.
4. Brain Cavity: A woodpecker’s brain cavity is small, which doesn’t allow for much movement or jarring. Plus, their brains are broad in the front. This feature spreads any impact over the greatest surface area.