woodpecker's

Mr. Ansell's nature writing is both lyrical and practical, from his observations on the longevity of bats (up to 30 years) and the intricacy of the woodpecker's tongue (which loops behind the dome of its skull), to the beauty of the kingfisher ("so glamorous and unexpectedly tiny") and the swarming swallows drawn to a hawk "like iron filings to a magnet."

Life in the Woods Toby Lichtig 2011

The woodpecker's head is astoundingly well-adapted for dealing with shock: After all, the birds strike trees 20 times a second, with a force of 1,200 g's, and fly away without brain damage.

Week in Ideas Christopher Shea 2011

Finally, a tendon-like filament called the hyoid encompasses the woodpecker's skull and helps dissipate vibration, while also supporting the tongue and throat.

Week in Ideas Christopher Shea 2011

He wished the flicker were closer, so he could see the ooze of the grubs on the woodpecker's beak.

Flicker 2009

As the commotion subsided, a woodpecker's distant tapping became audible.

Chill of Victory, Agony of the Feet: The Art of Snowshoe Racing 2009

A woodpecker's nest bears an uncanny resemblance to a wooden shoe.

September 2008 2008

A woodpecker's nest bears an uncanny resemblance to a wooden shoe.

Egg Envy 2008

Red-color number 40 (red of a woodpecker's head) is made of carmine, cinnabar, and brazil lake, while number 41, the red of a woodpecker's breast, is a combination of minium, cochineal, and lead white.

The Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe 2006

A woodpecker's nest bears an uncanny resemblance to a wooden shoe.

Egg Envy 2008

The ornithologists analyzed more than 18,000 hours of recordings to come up with what may be the woodpecker's signature knocks and calls.

Boing Boing 2005