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Why do woodpecker nostrils help protect them while drilling into wood?
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Piciform
Downy woodpecker (Dendrocopos pubescens).
Woodpecker nostrils are slitlike in shape, an adaptation that prevents sawdust and wood chips from entering the bird's respiratory system while it is drilling into wood. This feature is part of a broader set of specialized anatomical modifications that protect the bird and facilitate its wood-pecking habits.1