Welcome to woodpecker week.
There are a number of woodpecker species that make their home around Yellowknife. Some of them even spend the winters with us. Woodpeckers are hearty little birds who spend much of their time banging their heads against trees. So how do they avoid concussions?
Woodpeckers have flexible skulls because of their plate-like bones which help minimize damage to the brain from of all that pecking. They also have a specially adapted hyoid bone that wraps all the way around their skull and acts like a seat-belt for the bird’s skull and brain. The hyoid bone is part of the bird’s tongue which in some species can be as long as 6 inches! A woodpecker’s tongue wraps around its skull and is anchored near its nostrils. Many species have a barbed tongue which makes it easier to catch the small insects, grubs, and sap from inside the cavities they create.
Some of the woodpecker species we have around Yellowknife include the American Three toed woodpecker, the Northern Flicker, the Yellow-bellied sapsucker, the hairy woodpecker, the downy woodpecker and the Pileated woodpecker.
The American Three-toed woodpecker breeds farther north than any other North American woodpecker. It is about the size of a robin and is black and white. The male has a bright yellow crown on top of his head. These woodpeckers are not too shy and we have a number of them that spend the winter in green areas around the city.
The Pileated woodpecker is the largest North American woodpecker and they are frequent visitors here in the summer. Their screech is easily recognized. They make unique rectangular holes in trees when they are feeding. Their nest holes offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.The oldest known Pileated Woodpecker was a male, and at least 12 years, 11 months old when he was recaptured and re-released during banding operations in Maryland.
Northern Flickers are probably the most common woodpecker around Yellowknife. They are prolific and commonly seen in most treed areas in and around the city. Northern Flickers feed on the ground where they find their favourite food – ants. The oldest known yellow-shafted form of the Northern Flicker was a male and was at least 9 years, 2 months old when he was found in Florida.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s story.