Woodpeckers sure look funny when they "perch" on a flat, horizontal surface
These downy woodpecker (DOWO) photos illustrate how specialized feet dictate a bird's feeding style and niche.
Woodpeckers forage for from the "bottom up", picking at grubs and insects from the underside of tree bark. Birds in the nuthatch family forage from the "top down" and have huge thighs
Woodpeckers have feet that look like this
American Robins and other "perching birds" have feet that look like this:
One bird (the woodpecker) has toes that aren't even with each other. The Robin and other birds like it have only one toe pointed in reverse, and that's what makes it easier for them to balance and hold their weight when standing.---
