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Hairy, downy, pileated, and red-bellied woodpeckers live in Missouri year-round, while the migratory northern flickers, red-headed woodpeckers, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers are temporary residents of the Show-Me state.
Feet with two toes facing forward, and two facing backward help them grip vertical surfaces, and stiff tail feathers serve to stabilize them as they scoot up and down trees.
Their long, bristle-tipped tongues are supported by bones that wrap around their skulls and attach to their nostrils.
Woodpeckers use vocal calls in combination with drumming sounds to communicate with each other. But when drumming on trees, they’re doing more than just making noise. They use these drumming techniques to locate grubs and insects beneath the bark of trees, just as we might tap a hammer along a wall to find a hidden stud. ....