Woodpeckers don’t have built in shock-absorbers in their heads as previously thought, study says

Scientists say their heads act more like stiff hammers

Woodpecker skulls do not act like shock-absorbing helmets as previously thought, according to a new study that suggests their heads are more like stiff hammers.

Scientists have long sought to understand how woodpeckers repeatedly pound their beaks against tree trunks without damaging their own brains.

Earlier studies theorised that the skulls must be acting like shock-absorbing helmets.