Why Woodpeckers Don't Get Headaches

It's a tough one to answer, says Walter Koenig, an ornithologist at Cornell University.
But, he says, if pecking caused pain and injury, “presumably they wouldn’t be around for very long"—a hurt bird would likely succumb to predators.
 There are more than 300 species of woodpeckers worldwide, and they peck wood for a variety of reasons: To excavate nest cavities, dig for insects or sap, or create holes to store food.
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