Woodpeckers are fascinating birds that are known for their unique ability to chisel holes in trees. They play an essential role in forest ecosystems, as they help to control insect populations and provide nesting sites for other birds and animals.

However, there are also concerns about their impact on trees, as some woodpeckers have been known to cause damage to trees.

In both reality and fairy tales, woodpeckers have often been portrayed as "forest guardians." These birds are known for their natural stubbornness when it comes to "treating trees."

For example, the North American black woodpecker has been known to rip open trees, causing them to die prematurely, making it a typical representative of the "quack" in the woodpecker world.

In the oak or pine forests of the southwest coast of North America, one may encounter trees with small, dense holes covering their trunks and branches. At first glance, these holes may appear to be the result of pest damage. However, upon closer inspection, one will find that each small hole contains an acorn.

This is the work of the oak woodpecker.

Oak woodpeckers collect enough acorns for the winter and store them in trees, which are the best places to store food.

However, instead of hiding the acorns in a large hole, they peck out a small hole in the tree and then set the acorns in the small hole. Most oak woodpeckers live in flocks, and they will set the collected acorns uniformly on a tree. This can result in up to 5,000 holes in a single tree, which can be a nightmare for the tree.

In comparison, the sap-sucking woodpecker has been known as the "forest vampire." These birds peck wood to suck the sap from the tree. Maple and birch trees with high sap content are their main targets.

They peck a small hole in the trunk of the tree to suck the sap from the bast. When the tree repairs itself, they peck another small hole next to it. Gradually, the holes become more and more numerous, and once they surround the tree, they have successfully cut off the sieve tube that transports nutrients to the tree. At this point, the tree's death is imminent.

Before we can determine whether woodpeckers maliciously destroy trees, it is important to understand why they have such powerful abilities to make holes. The power of the woodpecker's beak is undoubtedly strong; otherwise, they would not be able to make holes in tree trunks to catch insects, cut holes for food storage, or suck sap.

When woodpeckers chisel holes, their heads stop moving within 0.5-1 ms after touching the wood, and the acceleration can reach 1000g. On average, a woodpecker pecks wood 12,000 times a day. Not only humans but also scientists are curious as to how woodpeckers can peck so frenetically without suffering concussions.

When a woodpecker hits a tree, its beak hits the tree almost vertically to avoid breaking its beak due to lateral forces. However, its pecking position is constantly changing, which ensures that the point where its brain hits the skull is constantly changing. This helps to avoid situations where one point is always under stress.

One of the most amazing aspects of the woodpecker is its tongue. The woodpecker's tongue is so long that it extends even longer than its own body, and the tip of the tongue has many barbs, which makes it easy for the bird to stick its tongue into the hole and hook its prey firmly.