Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Ant-eater

Northern Flickers spend a lot of time on the ground, making them unusual for Picidae family birds, that is, the woodpeckers.
But one of their favorite foods is ants.
This female was ravaging a colony recently.
A few escapees. Nothing like jumping on an enemy to elude them.

mthew

4 responses to “Ant-eater”

  1. bridge2nature

    Beautiful birds

    Reply
    1. mthew

      I’ve always been particularly enamored of the red-feather delta on the nape.

      Reply
      1. bridge2nature

        Thanks

  2. Chuck McAlexander

    On the ground and frequently very visible makes them a favorite food of the Peregrine falcons in my neighborhood. Their second only to pigeon on the menu, but pigeons are more readily available. Who knows what the first choice would be if the numbers were equal?

    Reply

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