Q. The same woodpecker pecks at our house nonstop. Do woodpeckers get a headache after a while?
A. Woodpeckers have well-adapted structures that act as shock absorbers inside of their heads. They have a hard, but elastic beak, a springy tongue-supporting structure called the hyoid and an area of spongy bone inside the skull. These features, in addition to cerebral fluid, interact to suppress vibration in their head so they can peck all day without getting a headache.
-- Lori Naumann
Naumann is an information officer for the DNR's Nongame Wildlife Program.
