614: Woodpecker

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Woodpecker

Title text: If you don't have an extension cord I can get that for you too. Because we're friends! Right?

Explanation

Beret Guy observes a woodpecker. A woodpecker is a type of bird known for using its bill to bore holes into trees to get access to and eat the insects living inside. Megan notes that the bird hatched approximately a year ago. Beret Guy seems touched by this fact, and attempts to explain to the woodpecker that it is the woodpecker's birthday.

Beret Guy leaves a present by the foot of the tree where the woodpecker is nesting. The woodpecker opens the present which turns out to be a power drill, a mechanical tool that is used to bore holes into wood, much quicker than a bird normally could. Not that this would be of much use to the bird, as the bird has no electricity^{[citation needed]} and so no means of powering the drill, let alone opposable thumbs^{[citation needed]} with which to operate the drill. In spite of this, the woodpecker has not only unwrapped the present; it has apparently accepted it, and flies off with it. However, this is Beret Guy who gave the woodpecker the drill. He may have given it some other means of working without electricity.

The title text appears to be Beret Guy talking to the bird still, pointing out that he can get the bird an extension cord to operate the drill because, in his mind, they are friends. In actuality, the bird may or may not care about the drill or Beret Guy. An extension cord, also, would not do much good as the bird would still have no electricity, and if it did have a source of electricity and was able to use the drill, it wouldn't be able to fly further than the length of the extension cord, which isn't far for a bird. This could be a reference to 509: Induced Current.

Transcript

[Megan and Beret Guy are standing on a deck.]

Beret Guy: A Woodpecker!

pop pop pop

Megan: Yup.

[Woodpecker knocking against a tree.]

Megan: He hatched about this time last year.

pop pop pop pop

[Megan leave the frame, leaving Beret Guy on the deck alone.]

Beret Guy: ...Woodpecker?

Beret Guy...It's your Birthday!

Beret Guy: Did you know?

Beret Guy: Did... Did nobody tell you?

[Beret Guy leaves the frame, changes to the tree base.]

[Beret Guy brings a gift and places it at the tree trunk.]

[The woodpecker comes down and opens the gift.]

[The woodpecker flies away holding onto the cord of a power drill.]

Trivia

This comic used to be available as a T-shirt in the xkcd store before it was shut down.

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Discussion

From Wikipedia: "Most birds have at least one opposable digit on the foot, in various configurations, but these are seldom called "thumbs". They are more known as simply as halluxes." I think a large enough bird could operate a drill if it had the electricity and intelligence. 184.66.160.91 01:56, 26 August 2013 (UTC)

Why is there a [citation needed] at the part about the bird not having electricity? Palmerito0 (talk) 17:30, 6 April 2016 (UTC)

'cause it's funny. 173.245.52.70 12:03, 8 June 2016 (UTC)

Cause it's an attempt to be funny which the author himself often uses in what if? Lackadaisical (talk) 12:14, 8 June 2016 (UTC)

The ^{[citation needed]} sign in What If? and Explain Xkcd is not a true need for citation an ironic joke about putting the sign on something so obvious it doesn't need a citation. See 285: Wikipedian Protester to see where it came from.Dontknow (talk) 04:57, 7 May 2017 (UTC)

Or just click this --> ^{[citation needed]}. Beanie (talk) 10:32, 20 April 2021 (UTC)