Woodpecker Finches Use Cactus Spines To Drag Bugs From Trees
The woodpecker finch’s short tongue makes it difficult for the bird to eat insects that live in tree trunks. Rather than go hungry or find a new food source, these finches snap off cactus spines and use them to impale or drag out their prey. The bird may also use twigs to extract bugs and larvae from underneath the bark. Woodpecker finches are more likely to use tools to forage during the dry season and in arid climates where food is scarce. As much as half of the food may be collected using these tools, making the birds more frequent tool-users than chimpanzees and any other primates except humans.