The Hidden Science of a Woodpecker’s Peck

The Woodpecker Signal explores one of the most recognizable behaviors in nature and reveals how much is happening beneath the surface. A woodpecker’s drumming, drilling, and excavating are not simple acts of pecking—they are specialized behaviors shaped by communication, foraging, and the search for shelter.

With clear scientific insight, Nora F. Mercer shows how woodpecker biology turns a tree trunk into a place of signal, food, and home.

Readers will discover:

Accessible to curious general readers and science-minded bird lovers, this book offers a vivid look at how evolution shapes living bodies in remarkable ways.