Northern Flicker

I don't know much about birds, so was happy to find these fellows outside my window this morning. We had three new visitors to our Post Falls back yard. I found them hopping around with the robins, feeding on the ground. I've never noticed these long-beaked beauties in our yard before. It's likely these colorful flyers are male.

They are called the Northern Flicker and are a type of woodpecker. They are particularly fond of ants and dig into woody nests to find them. Unlike other woodpeckers, these birds nest in holes in the ground rather than in trees.

They typically nest at the edges of woodlands. Here in the Pacific Northwest, they are becoming more common in suburban habitats. Since my suburban habitat is on the edge of woodlands, I might be lucky to see these birds more frequently!