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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National

In the early 2000s, researchers explained why woodpeckers don't get head injuries despite striking trees at 15 mph

Brain LiveScience
  • Woodpecker facts : Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, strike trees with their heads at speeds of about 15 mph up to 20 times every second. Their powerful blows led University of California, Davis ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab to investigate why the birds do not suffer the kinds of head injuries humans would, as per a report.

    • Schwab's research, published in the 'British Journal of Ophthalmology,' helped explain how woodpeckers protect their brains and eyes during these repeated impacts. His work later earned him an Ig Nobel Prize.

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