The most plausible theory regarding the origin of woodpeckers is that they originated approximately 45 million years ago in the tropical regions of Eurasia. At that point, the progenitor of all woodpeckers diverged from the lineage that gave rise to contemporary honeyguides to become a unique species. Honeyguides live in Africa and Southeast Asia. Theyâre the closest living relatives of woodpeckers.
All woodpeckers nest in cavities. Most excavate their own nests. However, some species are incapable of doing that on their own, such as the Eurasian Wryneck. Wrynecks use cavities left by other woodpeckers or those that are naturally occurring. Additionally, piculets usually excavate their nests in soft, decomposing wood. These little guys lack the strength to create cavities in either living or hard wood.
The process by which woodpeckers aid in converting dead wood into soil is another way in which they benefit their respective ecosystems. Insects such as wood-borer beetles and bark beetles come to consume the wood after a tree dies. They bring with them wood-digesting fungi. As they dive in, woodpeckers split open the wood, consuming the insects. The birds give more fungi and insects access to the wood by exposing it. This produces a kind of feedback loop, leading to the tree’s eventual recycling into organic soil. The following generation of trees, insects, and woodpeckers will be raised in this soil.
The tiny brain size of woodpeckers is another factor that shields against concussions. Lesser brain masses are more resistant to harmful forces. Now, itâs not that woodpeckers have exceptionally small brains. Compared to most other birds, they actually have larger than expected brain sizes given their body sizes. However, because birds are small animals, their brains generally have small masses. Â.
The woodpecker makes a brief, little leap when it’s ready to climb the tree trunk. It leaps a short distance and uses its feet to cling on once more. When the woodpecker is climbing a tree, these tiny jumps give their movements a staccato, stop-motion appearance. I love watching woodpeckers moving up a trunk. Â.
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This is BirdNote. Spring means woodpeckers carving out nest cavities. They’re our most familiar bird carpenters. But they arent the only excavators at work. Little nuthatches are expert wood carvers; they also have bills that resemble chisels. They are capable of creating nests in wood as durable as utility poles. Some nuthatches coat their nest holes with sticky conifer resin. This could deter rivals or predators from occupying the nest site, such as House Wrens and squirrels. As they arrive and depart, the nuthatches flit above the sap. It is believed that the resin left outside Red-cockaded Woodpecker burrows keeps predators like snakes away. Very soft tapping may signal a chickadee at work. Chickadees can peck their way into less dense wood, such as a decayed section of a trunk or a knothole, even if they do not have a chisel for a bill. The females and males both remove wood chips, forming a hollow that is about eight inches deep. Lastly, to create a cozy and warm bed for the eggs and nestlings, the female alone adds a layer of moss for the nest, lined with a softer substance like fur. Thus, keep an ear out for bird carpenters this spring and keep an eye out for telltale sawdust showers. For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann. ———————————————Grants: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York’s Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds provided the bird sounds. Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller, Wil Hershberger, and Ryan Sanderson. Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler composed and performed the theme music for BirdNote. Writer: Bob Sundstrom © 2018 Tune In to Nature Producer: John Kessler Managing Producer: Jason Saul Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone Narrator: Mary McCann org May 2018.
This audio story is brought to you by BirdNote, a partner of the National Audubon Society. BirdNote episodes air daily on public radio stations nationwide.
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