woodpecker

Everyday

A woodpecker is a bird that clings to tree trunks and hammers into the wood with its strong, sharp beak to find insects and to make nest holes. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons woodpeckers show adaptations: a strong beak like a chisel, a thick skull that protects the brain, stiff tail feathers to lean on, and a very long sticky tongue to pull out grubs. They also drum on trees to talk to other woodpeckers. In Britain you may see the great spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker. Phrases: «drumming», «peck holes», «great spotted woodpecker».

Examples

• We heard a woodpecker drumming on the oak tree. tree →
• The woodpecker pecked a hole for its nest. tree →
• A woodpecker's tongue is long enough to wrap round its skull. tree →
• The green woodpecker hops on lawns to eat ants. tree →
• Woodpeckers do not get headaches because of their special skulls. tree →
• Woody Woodpecker is a cartoon bird. tree →
• The woodpecker held on to the trunk with its stiff tail. tree →
• After they had gone some way, they passed a tree-stump, on which a bright coloured woodpecker was tapping. tree →

Note

Plural «woodpeckers». One word: wood + pecker. There are no woodpeckers in Australia, New Zealand or Madagascar. The drumming is mostly a signal, not feeding.