Woodpecker
Woodpecker
Bird
A bird known for drumming on tree trunks to communicate and find food.
💡 Fun Facts
- They have shock-absorbing skulls to protect their brains from the impact of pecking.
- They use a long, sticky, barbed tongue to extract insects from deep inside trees.
- Their stiff tail feathers act like a prop to support them on tree trunks.
Name Story
Dendrocopos major
means “the greater tree-striker”
What does its name mean?
- Dendrocopos — tree-strikerGreek dendron 'tree' + kopos 'a striking'
- major — greater, largerLatin — bigger than the lesser spotted woodpeckerDecode this word →
'Tree-striker' is exactly right: this woodpecker hammers at tree trunks to find insects, and drums out a fast, far-carrying rattle that says 'this is my patch'.