Did you know that woodpeckers have tongues? They use their long sticky tongues to probe the holes they peck for grubs or other small insects. Last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I observed a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) pecking away feverishly and was delighted when reviewing my photos to see that I had gotten some shots of its tongue at work. You can see the tongue clearly in the first photo below, though you may need to zoom in to do so.
As I was doing a little research, I came across a fascinating article by Rebecca Heisman on the American Bird Conservancy website entitled “The Amazing Secrets of Woodpecker Tongues.” The article explained the anatomy and function of a woodpecker’s tongue in a way that was both understandable and fun. For example, when talking about the length of a woodpecker’s tongue, it stated:
“The total length of a woodpecker tongue can be up to a third of the bird’s total body length, although the exact proportions vary from species to species. This includes both the part that sticks out past the end of the beak, and the part that stays anchored in the head. If our tongues were the same proportion, they would be around two feet long!”
So where does the tongue go when it is not in use? The tongue is retracted behind the skull and helps to protect the woodpecker’s brain when it is hammering away at a tree. Wow!
There are so many cool things to learn about nature—I often feel like I am only beginning to scratch the surface of a whole range of secrets that are waiting to be revealed to me as I explore more and more.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I have wondered why woodpeckers don’t get concussions….truly fascinating. Thanks 🙂
Very cool! And great information, too. I knew they used their tongues to explore, but I had no idea they were so long or that they also used them to protect their brains. Amazing!
Ha 🤗. I didn’t know that 👍👍
Good capture and interesting facts too
Now, that is a truly fascinating factoid… thanks, Mike.
Amazing photos! I didn’t know that about their tongues. Now I’ll be looking for that when I try to photograph the woodpeckers here. 🤓
Woodpecker really are quite remarkable, I had no idea about the length of that tongue and its duel purpose. I’m glad those little black-n-white-n-reds have some protection in their noggins! Great shots!
[…] Woodpecker tongue — Mike Powell […]
I’ve seen a heron’s tongue, and a cedar waxwing’s, but I had no idea woodpeckers’ tongue are so long — or so useful for protection. As much hammering as they do, it makes sense that dual purpose would have evolved, but it’s still amazing.
It definitely is amazing. I remember reading that scientists have done a lot of studying of woodpeckers as they try to figure out better ways to design things like football helmets. As for tongues, one of my fellow photographers got some great photos last summer of hummingbird tongues–yes they have long tongues too.
I remembered reading about hummingbird tongues, and their appearance as an appetizer at a high-end NYC restaurant. It seems that was an urban myth, thank goodness.
Almost looked like a toothpick!