Norwegian Blue Woodpecker
This Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into our window a few days ago and I initially feared that it had died. However, after 45 minutes in a quiet, dark box, it revived and flew off.
Woodpeckers are amazing birds. They have a number of evolutionary adaptations to reflect their lifestyle.
1. The cells in the tips of their bills are constantly replaced to stop their bills from wearing down.
2. They have lengthened hyoid apparatus, which means that they can extend their tongues further than most birds.
3. Their tail feather are much stiffer than normal feathers in order to give the woodpecker additional support.
4. They have zygodactyl feet, meaning that they have two front-facing toes and two back-facing. Most songbirds have three and one.
5. They have sinewy attachments to the base of the bill to absorb the shock of hammering at trees and thereby avoid brain damage.
6. They have bristly feathers over their nostrils to protect them from inhaling sawdust.
Norwegian Blue Woodpecker
This Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into our window a few days ago and I initially feared that it had died. However, after 45 minutes in a quiet, dark box, it revived and flew off.
Woodpeckers are amazing birds. They have a number of evolutionary adaptations to reflect their lifestyle.
1. The cells in the tips of their bills are constantly replaced to stop their bills from wearing down.
2. They have lengthened hyoid apparatus, which means that they can extend their tongues further than most birds.
3. Their tail feather are much stiffer than normal feathers in order to give the woodpecker additional support.
4. They have zygodactyl feet, meaning that they have two front-facing toes and two back-facing. Most songbirds have three and one.
5. They have sinewy attachments to the base of the bill to absorb the shock of hammering at trees and thereby avoid brain damage.
6. They have bristly feathers over their nostrils to protect them from inhaling sawdust.