The Lord God Bird Imagine hitting your head against a tree 12,000 times a day, but never once suffering from a headache. This is a luxury woodpeckers have. Woodpeckers are one of the most amazing birds on the planet because of their uniqueness, ability to avoid headaches, and persistence to survive.
Every feature of a human body has a unique job it must perform, as does every feature of a woodpecker. One of the most impressive features about a woodpecker, is the tongue. The grey-faced woodpecker has a tongue that is on average 6.7 inches, which measures much longer than its’ beak. Woodpeckers use their tongues to catch insects, or drink sap they may find after pecking into a tree. (Amazing 4) Although woodpeckers usually dine on just insects and sap, they occasionally will eat acorns, nuts, fruits, and berries, as well. (Wild 4) Another remarkable feature of a woodpecker is its’ toes. Generally perching birds have three toes in the front, and one in the back. But woodpeckers are unique in the fact that they have two toes in the front and two in the back, which they use to better balance themselves while pecking at a tree. (Berger 5) Woodpeckers also will use their tail to balance themselves
Studies have shown that on woodpeckers peck 8,000-12,000 times a day. (Facts 17) Making them the, “champion woodchoppers of the bird world.” (Berger 2) Now that raises a question, do they get headaches? The answer is no. For years scientists conducted studies trying to find out if woodpeckers get headaches, and they came to the conclusion that they do not. After scientists came to the conclusion that they do not get headaches they asked, why not? After more studies, scientists discovered that woodpeckers have a unique skull that acts as a helmet for their brain. So with each peck, this “helmet” absorbs the shock of the blow and protects the brain from any headaches, or brain
Wise, M. J., Abrahamson, W. G., & Cole, J. A. (2010).The role of nodding stems in the goldenrod–gall–fly interaction: A test of the “ducking” hypothesis. Manuscript submitted for publication, Available from American Journal of Botany. (0900227)Retrieved from http://www.amjbot.org/content/97/3/525.full
Roise, J., Chung, J., Lancia, R., and Lennartz, M. 1990. Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat and timber management: production possibilities. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry. 14(1):6-12.
They have wide chests and their arms are longer than their legs. Chimpanzees’ hands have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb. Their feet have five toes which includes an opposable big toe. Chimpanzees’ can grasp things with both their hands and their feet. Male chimpanzees are larger than female chimpanzees and are slightly sexually dimorphic. Chimpanzees are quadrupeds that typically walk using the soles of feet and the knuckles of their hands. They sometimes walk upright only when they need to use their arms to carry things but this is a rare occurrence. Chimps are also good at brachiating and climbing trees which is where they spend most of their time even when they sleep. Their dental formula is 2.1.2.3. Chimpanzees’ have y5/x4 molars, making them frugivores, and a diastema to fit their upper canines. Their diet includes fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds, smaller mammals, birds, insects, and grubs. When chimps aren’t resting, they can be very active. I enjoyed watching the Chimpanzees’ swing on the ropes and climb up and down the trees. Chimpanzees are
In conclusion, owls have shown they are excellent at adapting to any environment by the ability to fly silently to stalk prey. They use camouflaged and insulated feathers to hide and keep warm while hunting. Owl’s excellent binocular vision, and hearing helps to track prey from long distances. The only real risk of extinction of the burrowing owl is if people continue to kill off animals that dig holes for them. They have shown the ability to survive for a long time with the help of other animals digging holes for them. Owl’s will continue to evolve long after humans have
5. Dr. Margret Brooks says ““because the brain is floating freely inside the skull, I think most experts doubt whether it is possible to ever develop a helmet design that can prevent concussion.” (Healy, 2014)
Concussions can spring from practically anywhere; at home during cleaning, playing catch in the yard, or even slipping and falling. One
A concussion is a head injury that can have damaging effects on athletes of all sports and ages. Concussions are regularly caused by a hard hit to the head or body that causes the brain to shake inside the skull. While there is fluid within the skull to protect the brain, when an athlete is hit hard enough, the brain moves to the point of hitting the skull, causing a head injury otherwise known as a concussion (“Concussions”). Terry Adirim, a medical doctor who writes articles for Clinical Pediatrician Emergency Magazine, says that an individual may have many different symptoms after receiving a concussion. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and vomiting, but each of these symptoms do not necessarily happen with every concussion.
Helmets drastically reduce the tremendous number of deaths caused by head injuries as well as reducing the severity of any ...
David Camarillo, a former football player, discusses why helmets do not protect against concussion in his TedTalk. He starts off his discussion by saying “a repeated history of concussion can lead to early dementia such as Alzheimer’s…” (Camarillo, TedTalk). Mild traumatic brain injuries affect as many as
"The referee shouts, "Ready, pit!" The birds explode from their handlers' grasps and collide breast to breast, a foot off the ground. Beak grabbing beak, hackles flaring like porcupine quills, they bounce apart and then collide, again and again. The hatch takes command. The roundhead rolls over, then revives. He pounds the Hatch with a foot, spearing a lung. The Hatch fades, hunkering down and refusing to budge. As he coughs up drops of blood, his breathing sounds like footsteps on gravel. The Roundhead, fatigued but intact, wins. The Hatch is carried off, most likely to die" (Kilborn 3).
Marzluff, J., Angell, T. & Elliot, B. (2013, May. - Jun.). Birds: Brains over brawn. Audubon, 115(3), 40-41.
Through time, there has been a significant decrease in the number of bones through fusion, or loss of individual bones (“Evolution of Birds”). The loss in these bones result in a “hollow construction of the skeleton,” as well as a reduction in the availability movable joints. Though this seems like it should not benefit the bird, it is actually better adapted as a framework of a “flying machine.” The clavicle of birds is used and near it is a keeled sternum that the flight muscles attach to. The skull of a bird is lightweight and mostly composed of the protein keratin. Without teeth present, the jaw has also become light weight, all aiding in its ability to achieve the best possible flight. The changing in structure of the physical bird and functions of each their bones have aided in their diversification and ability to thrive as the modern bird that we know
Alexander, David. Nature's Flyers: Birds, Insects, and the Biomechanics of Flight. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004. Print.
They are so well adapted to arboreal life that they cannot place their feet on
According to Marıa et al., (2004) reduced locomotion activity increases stress due to the frustration of not being able to express some behaviors, for example, lack of access to nests (Duncan, 1998). Benefits of environmental enrichment to poultry is even distribution of birds in the available space, which permits more activity and locomotion that reduces disturbances and aggression as well as fear and stress (Leone and Estévez, 2008). Certain poultry behaviour has a strong incentive and poultry welfare is negatively affected if the birds are not allowed to express these behaviours (Linares and Martin, 2010). These authors stated that frustration, fear, and pain are the negative mental states of poultry and include increased aggression, displacement preening, and stereotyped pacing. Study from Linares and Martin (2010), confirms that extreme nervousness and hysteria are signs of poor welfare and they are associated with high population densities in large group, exposure to clamor, unexpected movement, or inexperienced circumstances, which result in skin trauma from scratches, spontaneous fractures, lessened feed consumption, decreased egg production, and reproductive disorders such as internal laying and peritonitis secondary to abdominal