Great Spotted Woodpecker

Today's the day ...................... for an interesting fact

I feel sure you would want to know an interesting fact about this female woodpecker - a frequent visitor to our garden.  She was jabbing that beak at the peanuts today, although the fatballs are usually the food of choice.

You might wonder why woodpeckers in general don't end up with a severe headache with all this headbanging that they do?  Well, apparently they have evolved special adaptations to their beak and skull, which help them absorb the shock.  There are three ways that this happens - firstly, they have special bones with a sponge-like structure at some parts of their skull, which seems to distribute the force. Secondly, they have a unique bone, called the ‘hyoid' bone which wraps around the skull acting almost as if it were a seatbelt. Finally, the uneven lengths of their upper and lower beak appears to help to lower the load of impact that goes to the brain.

So now you know!  And if you want to read four more interesting facts about woodpeckers, you can find them on the RSPB website here ..................