After the last snowstorm came through, there have been a lot of birds that look like woodpeckers walking and digging in the ground along roadsides, in fields, and wherever dirt is exposed.
The northern flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family and is usually seen on the ground as a white-rumped bird which rises up and flies directly away flashing its salmon-colored underwings.
Flickers gather beetles and insects from trees like other woodpeckers, but because they are usually seen feeding on ants from the ground, they are often not recognized as woodpeckers.
Flickers are the only woodpeckers that feed regularly on the ground, with ants being their preferred food. They even produce antacid saliva to neutralize the acidic defenses of the ants.
