Today I Learned (TIL)

6513 readers

8 users here now

You learn something new every day; what did you learn today?

/c/til is a community for any true knowledge that you would like to share, regardless of topic or of source.

Share your knowledge and experience!

Rules

Information must be true
Follow site rules
No, you don't have to have literally learned the fact today
Posts must be about something you learned

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

TIL Woodpeckers tongues wrap around their skulls to prevent them from getting concussions. (abcbirds.org)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It's only to prevent damage, not concussions. They benefit from concussions and the scarring it causes. It's one more part of their "helmet".

Edit: IM WRONG THERE HAS BEEN BETTER RESEARCH AND I CANT FIND THE ARTICLE ON BRAIN SCARRING.

Edit 2: here's a better reason:

"The size and orientation of the bird’s brain safeguard it, the authors say. Even the strongest of wood pecks left the bird brains with less than 60% of the pressure needed to give a human brain a concussion."

https://www.science.org/content/article/contrary-popular-belief-woodpeckers-don-t-protect-their-brains-when-headbanging-trees