Friends, imagine this picture: you are standing in the forest and watching a bird that quickly flew up to some tree and sat on it, as if stuck. How did she manage to cling so tightly to the tree?
Thanks to her forward (two) and backward (one) toes and her stiff tail. And now you see how this feathered creature instantly moves along the tree, tapping its trunk, like a medical hammer. Suddenly the bird stopped and hit the trunk harder than before! The beak from all over just broke through the tree! At the same moment, a tenacious and long bristly tongue slipped 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 "blacksmith", and on all wings - well done
It is always quiet in the winter forest… But somewhere in the distance, from time to time, a short and abrupt knock is heard - this is a motley "blacksmith" working! Yes, friends, the spotted woodpecker is a bird, as they say, a "hands-on" craftswoman! As soon as he finds a tree with some kind of cleft, he immediately arranges a real "forge" in it! And this is not accidental, because any woodpecker is a hard-working bird! They constantly drag into theirfreshly hollowed out "mine" pine and spruce cones. Then they crush them, pulling nuts and seeds from under the scales with their miracle tongue. As soon as they peck one cone, they immediately fly after another.
That's why under many trees in the forest you can find a whole bunch of empty cones in the snow.
Forest Doctor
In general, woodpecker by its nature is an insectivorous bird. It feeds on those bugs and larvae that are in the bark of a tree and under it, as well as in wood and on branches. This bird has rightfully earned the nickname "Forest Doctor". Why? It's all about his knock. If it knocks on wood, then the end of all insect pests has come! The forest will live on! This feathered rogue rather quickly determines, by the characteristic woody sound, exactly where all the harmful insects hid, and proceeds to their execution. The funny thing is that our feathered friend will not rest until he has eaten all the pests on the tree! Even woodpeckers drink birch sap in the spring very carefully and carefully so as not to harm the tree. Well, real doctors! In autumn, our feathered friend eats pine nuts, pine and spruce seeds. Many woodpeckers are huge lovers of various fruits. These birds live in hollows, which they themselves hollow out. The female lays three to seven eggs.
Free "re altor"
The woodpecker bird, the description of which cannot but touch, is an unwitting helper for other birds and even … for bats! The fact is that hollowed out by a woodpecker for severalFor many years, the hollows are a nesting home for other bird species, as well as bats flying mammals (for example, the red noctule).
Diversity of species
Woodpecker - a bird (photo №3), common throughout the world and in Russia in particular. Imagine that as many as 15 of the known 370 species 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 large motley,
- white,
- gray-haired
- and green woodpeckers.
