Bird of the week 2024 | Northern flicker

Northern flicker [MichaelWarren.com]

Northern flicker

This glorious burst of yellow is the northern flicker (yellow shafted), a woodpecker that often forages on the forest floor for ants and beetles. One of its most unusual behaviors is “anting,” where it lies near a nest and allows itself to be covered by ants because the defensive venom the ants give off is good for repelling lice. This flicker was caught in flight at the Silver Springs Conservation Area.