Northern Flicker

Description:

Colorful red marks on it's cheeks. The feathers on it's head are a grayish blue color. On it's wings is more of a camouflage pattern of black strips with brown feathers.

Habitat:

Spent a lot of time on the ground around the base of the trees.

Notes:

"With robin-like hops, the northern flicker scours the ground of grassy meadows and forest clearings in search of invertebrates, particularly ants that it squashes and preens itself with for the formic acid, which kills small parasites on its skin and feathers. The flicker will also bathe in dusty depressions-the dust particles absorb oils and bacteria that can harm the bird's feathers. The least arboreal of our woodpeckers, this species spends more time on the ground than other woodpeckers.."-Southern California Nature Guide