Drumming through the stillness – wildlife writer Jane Adams enjoys the the signal of changing seasons in the rhythmic forest hammering
Winter walks can feel eerily quiet, with only the crunch of frost underfoot and the occasional rustle of leaves. The stillness has its own kind of beauty, but it can also feel a little bleak. That’s when the sound of rhythmic drumming, echoing through the trees, is such a welcome sound. It’s a reminder the seasons are shifting, and nature is gearing up for change.
The drumming is made by a great spotted woodpecker. About the size of a blackbird, it’s a striking bird with bold black-and-white feathers and a vivid splash of red. While both males and females hammer away for food all year – opening up cracks and holes in wood – February is different. This month, the male woodpeckers will go into overdrive, drumming to mark their territory and warning off overly pushy rivals.
It’s their way of shouting, ‘HEY! This is my patch. Keep out!’
It’s incredible to think that great spotted woodpeckers can hammer up to 20 times per second – without giving themselves a concussion! Their skulls are perfectly adapted, with spongy bone and special muscles that spread out the impact. Even the way their brain sits tightly inside their skull helps reduce movement during all that frantic head-banging. Interestingly, this clever adaptation inspired improvements in cycle helmet design, helping to protect cyclists against rotational brain injuries.
If woodpeckers become engrossed in their drumming, you can often get remarkably close. They’re usually perched at the top of a favourite tree – it will be a hollowing dead or dying trunk that offers superior acoustics.
On a crisp, clear day, when the low sun is doing its best to warm the ground, take a moment to stop. Crouch down and listen.
It might not be spring just yet, but it’s definitely on its way.
Great spotted woodpecker fact file:
- With predominantly black and white plumage, male, female and juvenile great spotted woodpeckers all sport red feather ‘underpants’ under their tails.
- Juveniles also have a red ‘bonnet’, with adult males having a smaller red rectangle of feathers on the back of their head (image opposite is a male, with a red square on the back of his head. The flying woodpecker above with no red patch is a female)
- Great spotted woodpeckers can drum 600 times a day, at speeds of up to 40 pecks a second.
- Their tongues can protrude up to 4 cm beyond the tip of their bill, allowing them to winkle out even the most difficult peanut or seed from a garden bird feeder, or wiggly insect from a crack in a tree.
- Look for them at the tops of trees, where their movement and distinctive colour are more likely to catch your attention as they drum, silhouetted against the sky.
