Stiff, pointed tail feathers catch on the rough bark to brace the hammering body. A woodpecker's flight is undulating. The bird usually launches off the side of a tree, pumps its wings four or five strokes, and folds them against its body. During this short pause, the bird loses a few feet of altitude. Then more wing beats, another pause, and so on.
Woodpeckers feed mainly on wood-boring grubs, insects, insect eggs and pupae.
They also consume sap, nuts, and the fruits of some trees and shrubs. Even in winter they have no trouble locating insects. Drumming designates territory and can attract a mate. Soft tapping may be a type of communication between mates, or between parents and offspring. Courtship and nesting habits are essentially alike in all woodpeckers.