Red-capped Downy Woodpecker

Of pecks and pest control

Though it may seem like woodpeckers have it out for trees with their namesake hole-boring behavior, these birds are actually crucial to the survival of forests. Many woodpeckers drill into dead, decaying trees as they search for grubs and small insects within. And those that peck at living trees are actually helping to prevent pest infestations that might otherwise destroy a tree. The tree can survive the holes drilled by the woodpecker's beak, and the birds gobble up termites and other insects that are a bane to the tree's health. This hard-working species, the hairy woodpecker, offers its forestry services all over North America, where it's a common sight from coast to coast.