Friends, imagine this picture: you are standing in a forest and watching a bird that swiftly flew up to some tree and sat on it, as if it had stuck. How did she manage to snuggle so tightly against a tree?
Thanks to her fingers directed forward (two) and back (one), as well as a stiff tail. And now you see how this feathered creature instantly moves around the tree, tapping its trunk, like a medical hammer. Suddenly the bird stopped and hit the trunk harder than before! Beak of all magnitude just broke through a tree! At the same moment, a tenacious and long bristly tongue stuck into the hole. Who is this? Friends, this is a motley woodpecker - a bird that deserves respect and attention to its person! Interesting, right? Then read on!
And the "blacksmith", and on all wings - well done!
In the winter forest it is always quiet … But somewhere at a distance a short and abrupt knock is heard from time to time - this motley "blacksmith" works! Yes, friends, a motley woodpecker - a bird, as they say, is a skilled worker at all trades! As soon as he finds a tree with some crevice, he immediately arranges a real "forge" in it! And this is no accident, because any woodpecker is a working bird! They constantly drag pine and spruce cones into their freshly hollowed “shaft”. Then they grind them, extracting nuts and seeds from their scales with their miraculous tongue. How to peck one cone, so immediately fly after another.
That is why under many trees in the forest you can find a whole bunch of empty cones in the snow.
Forest Doctor
Generally, by nature, a woodpecker is an insectivorous bird. The food for him is those bugs and larvae that are in the bark of the tree and under it, as well as in wood and on branches. This bird rightfully received the nickname "Forest Doctor." Why? It's all about his knocking. If it knocks on a tree, it means that all insect pests have come to an end! The forest will live on! This feathered sneak quite quickly determines by the characteristic woody sound, where exactly all the harmful insects hid, and proceeds to their execution. The funny thing is that our feathered friend will not calm down until he eats all the pests on the tree! In the spring, woodpeckers even drink birch sap very carefully and carefully so as not to harm the tree. Well, real doctors! In autumn, our feathered friend regales on pine nuts, seeds of pines and firs. Many woodpeckers are huge lovers of various fruits. These birds live in hollows, which they themselves hollow out. The female brings from three to seven eggs.
Royalty-free "realtor"
A woodpecker bird, the description of which cannot but be touched, is an involuntary helper for other birds and even … for bats! The fact is that the hollows hollowed by a woodpecker for several days have been a dwelling for many years for other species of birds, as well as for bats flying mammals (for example, gingerbread duck).
Variety of species
Woodpecker is a bird (photo No. 3), widespread throughout the world and in Russia in particular. Imagine that as many as 15 species from the famous 370 live in our country!
Outwardly, they differ in their color, size, character and habits. Among other species, the most famous and outstanding are:
- small and big motley,
- snow-white
- gray hair
- and green woodpeckers.
