Why do woodpeckers do what they do?

[floppa21]

Sittin on a bench smokin, watchin a little woodpecker in a tree. He's climbin up and down the trunk peckin here and there. Flits to a branch, let's go a little tweet and keeps peckin, cruisin around that whole branch peckin. I started wonderin...<br />A) He's lookin for hollow weak spots to make holes which would make him Nature's Vandal. (seemed ridiculous to me)<br />B) He likes concussions? (again ridiculous)<br />C) The vibrations would make little bugs come out which he would then embed into the tree by continuing to peck? Okay, for food... (still seems a little strange...)<br />D) Some sort of mating call/ritual? <br />Anybody know why they do this, please enlighten me. I never learned that growing up and now it is a curiosity curiousity? Why we take the U out? Whatever. <img src="graemlins/goodwork.gif" border="0" alt="[Good Job]" />

 

[SuperR]

"He likes concussions"...

now that's silly.

<img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" /> <img src="graemlins/crazyeyes.gif" border="0" alt="[Crazy Eyes]" />

 

[SlowwHand]

Digging for bugs.

 

[duke o' york]

Yup, definitely bugs. They don't even nest in tree trunks that often so that rules out another possibility you didn't consider.

 

[G-Man]

I don't see much reason in ruling out possibilities he didn't consider.<br />And it's for bugs. And worms. And other crawling thingis.

 

[floppa21]

Everyone who said bugs, this is not your vote but actual fact? Thanks for answering here. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[starlifter]

But I have a question to say 5 times, very fast....

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

How much wood would a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker would peck wood?

 

[Apollo]

Hey Starlifter, you listed that six times! Trying to get us even more toungue tied?

P.S.: Was that intentional?

 

[Archbob]

He is hitting his head against the wood in making a plan for world domination.

 

[TrailblazingScot]

The tree insulted him.

 

[starlifter]

LOL, I must have had a concussion! Or maybe it is a numbering convention:

0
1
2
3
4
5

But woodpeckers can't count anyway, can they?

 

[Dell19]

Originally posted by starlifter

But woodpeckers can't count anyway, can they?

[/B]

Maybe they can, they just don't count where we can see them...

 

[stormerne]

Why don't you cut through all this speculation and simply ASK THE WOODPECKER!

Make sure it's the same one though, 'cos different woodpeckers may have different motivations.

 

[floppa21]

Oh my goodness, I can't believe so many people posted on here... I like Kitten's idea, that never crossed my mind...