This woodpecker is a British species.
That ants and other small insects form the staple diet of the woodpecker is evident from the extraordinary length of the tongue. This is a long, worm-like structure, capable of being protruded many inches from the beak, and covered with a sticky secretion, so that, thrust into colonies of ants, it quickly becomes covered with them, to be withdrawn immediately into the mouth and cleared again for further action.
Woodpeckers are all birds of bright plumage, some particularly so, and have a wide geographical distribution, inhabiting all parts of the world save Madagascar, the Australasian region, and Egypt.
Three species occur in the British Islands, though they are exceedingly rare in Scotland and Ireland. The Green Woodpecker is a particularly handsome bird. Grass-green is the predominating colour of its livery, relieved by a light scarlet cap, a golden patch over the lower part of the back, and chequered bars on the wings and quills.
Scarcely less beautiful, in their way, are the Greater and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. The plumage of these birds has a very rich effect, steely blue-black and white being contrasted with scarlet.
Photo by W. F. Piggott] [Leighton Buzzard.
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKERS
One of the members of the group is using its stiff tail feathers as a support.
The Spotted and Black Woodpeckers are remarkable for a curious drumming sound, so powerful as to be distinctly audible even a mile off. It appears to be caused by hammering vigorously on the bark of some rotten branch, the bird's head moving with amazing rapidity as it beats out this curious tattoo.