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Flying anteater

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Photo courtesy Marilyn Mercer

The red-shafted flicker, Colaptes auratus aurates, is a cavity-nesting, ground-foraging woodpecker that specializes on ants. It probes into nests and tunnels with its bill, then extends its tongue almost 2 inches to snare larvae and adults. Males and females have similar color patterns, except that the male has a red malar stripe, or moustache. This male has a crop full of ant larvae for his nestlings.

May 26, 2002

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