Photo of the Day: Nationalgeographic photography - Birds Fighting, Rondeau Provincial Park, Canada

nationalgeographic ^ | February 09, 2009

[JoeProBono]

Taken at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, this image shows a fight between a redheaded woodpecker and a yellow-shafted northern flicker over a nest hole. The redheaded woodpeckers tried to chase away the intruding flickers but after this encounter, the fight was over. The flicker managed to grab the redheaded by its tongue and force it all the way down to the ground. Both birds spiraled while falling to the ground. It must have been painful as the redheaded gave up after this clash.

[bert]

I ran over my driveway light aluminum pole and fixed it by covering it with cedar. A downy wood pecker decided it was a dead tree and literally drilled it full of big holes.

It is comical to hear it. BrrrrrTTTT Brrrttt DING, Ding Ding

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[midwyf]

They really are entertaining birds. One can only wonder why they peck on metal so much except to hear the noise. I can imagine that a cedar covered metal pole provides them and you with a lot of enjoyment.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

Woodpeckers don’t sing. For territorial establishment, they drum. They prefer hollow logs and trees because the sound is louder. I guess the metal amplifies the sound too.

[MomwithHope]

An amazing picture. It doesn’t surprise me the flicker won. We live in the Michigan woods where many woodpeckers are common, I watched a flicker just the other day. Many years ago before we put a screen on the top of our chimney a flicker came down in and was rattling around in our wood stove. I put on my husbands heavy leather gloves and got him out, he was so covered in soot I couldn’t tell what he was until I started washing him off in the sink. I was amazed at how strong he was, especially his legs. I could barely hang onto him and I’m no slouch. For him to grab the tongue is natural, flickers eat many worms out of the ground besides tree bugs. Always easy to identify with the white spot at the base of the tail, they are usually flying away from you.

[JoeProBono]

[cajungirl]

are the flickers as pretty as that pic?

[bert]

Yes..... they are in my mind, quite elegant birds.

I looked for a better google image but couldn’t find one that really does them justice.

[bert]

Oops.... I got it wrong. It is not redbreasted, but red bellied woodpecker. It is quite striking on the suet just outside my office window.

This is not my photo

[cajungirl]

Maybe they are heavy metal flickers,,they are gorgeous.

[goat granny]

Beautiful yellow winged Flicker...Had one fly into my window when I was on the farm. Usually this resulted in a broken neck, dead bird. I went out to see what crashed into the window and found the Flicker. This was the first one I had ever seen. Picked it up and it was totally limp, but its foot clasped onto my finger and wouldn't let go. I carried it around for about 5 minutes and felt it start to move. Put him into a hole in the sugar maple in the front yard and a couple of more minutes and he flew away. The smaller birds would break their necks but the flicker is quite a large bird. They only knocked themselves out. I also found out there are 2 kinds of Flickers. Yellow, which was on the farm and also a red winged Flicker...This gave me a great excuse for not washing windows anymore. Dirty windows are easier to avoid...:O)
Thats my excuse for dirty windows and I am sticking to it..

[goat granny]

That bird and I have the same hair-do....

[JoeProBono]

[goat granny]

:O)

[LadyPilgrim]

Beautiful!!! Absolutely beautiful! Thank you Joe!

BTW....The Flicker is Alabama’s State bird, so it doesn’t surprise me he won the battle. :-)
And, he’s also called the Yellowhammer!

[LadyPilgrim]

ping...

[JoeProBono]

[midwyf]

I knew they don’t sing, but it just never occured to me that the drumming was their mating call. No wonder they like metal buildings and roofs.

[democratsarefascists]

Ah, yes.
Ye olde Robert Byrd, aka the Klanbird.
Characterized by its white hood, red head and yellow streak.

We have a red-shafted Northern Flicker who wakes us up nearly every morning by hammering on the neighbor’s satellite dish. Pictures don’t quite convey the size. It’s pretty big for a percher.