Why Woodpeckers don't get headaches

Why Woodpeckers don't get headaches: Of all the birds, woodpeckers have the thickest skulls specially designed to withstand repeated blows. Their skull bones are relatively spongy which cushions their little brains. In animals the space between the brain and skull contains a liquid which allows the brain to move about slightly. A blow to the head that makes the brain move too rapidly can cause a headache or worst a concussion (bruising of the brain by hitting the skull). However, woodpeckers skulls contain very little of this fluid making its brain fit more tightly in its skull and thus allowing less movement. The beak and skull are not joined by bone but by cartilage. This cushions each blow. In addition, just before a strike, its jaw muscles contract so that the force of the blow is spread out over its head and along its entire body. Through all these adaptations, woodpeckers have developed to be one of the animals least likely to get a concussion. In fact, the louder the noise, the better they like it.