Do woodpeckers tongues protect their brains?

A combination of tongue bones and soft tissue, known as the hyoid apparatus, allow woodpeckers to do what they do best without suffering from constant concussions. It’s not just the tongue that protects a woodpecker’s brain — its entire skull is adapted for its rough lifestyle.Click to see full answer. Hereof, do woodpeckers wrap their tongues around their brains?In woodpeckers that bone is modified to be super long. These bones/muscles run over the brain, around the side of the head, under the lower jaw, and into the mouth, where the two bones meet to form the tongue. A woodpecker’s tongue wraps around its head (Photo: Ask nature.com).Furthermore, how does a woodpecker use its tongue? A woodpecker sometimes uses its tongue as a spear, penetrating and then dragging insects to the surface, but the bird probably uses it more often as a rake, extending it into holes and then retracting it. In birds, the small hyoid bones and cartilage extend to the tip of the tongue. Likewise, how does woodpecker protect its brain? The bones in a woodpecker’s skull keep its brain comfortable and avoids concussions. Woodpeckers’ hyoid bones act like seatbelts for their brains. Woodpeckers are better than hoopoes at varying the path of their pecks. By moving their beaks around more, woodpeckers minimize brain damage in specific areas.Why do woodpeckers eat brains?In case you’ve been wondering, now we know: Woodpeckers will sometimes eat the brains of baby birds. They sure will. And not only that, but they will drill their way to the good stuff with vigor. The clip shows a Gila Woodpecker pecking through the skulls of two Mourning Dove chicks to feast on their brains and blood.