How do woodpeckers not get a concussion when they peck? [VID: How do woodpeckers not get a concussion when they peck? They can peck a tree up to 20 times per second -- typically, up to 12,000 pecks per day. Woodpeckers repeatedly whack their heads against trees with a lot of force. They hit their heads with a force 10 times that of a concussion-inducing football tackle. How can woodpeckers peck with so much force without injuring themselves? A woodpecker’s anatomy is designed to absorb this forc