Posted by ppeery on February 9th, 2010

The Common Flicker, Ants, and the Web of Life

Observing bird life at Bundoran Farm this winter has been hampered by the weather, but flickers have made themselves known by their calls.  They are active, one bird covering a territory of 150 acres or more and this time of year you are likely to hear their loud drawn out “keeogh” call, sometimes their loud “wicka-wicka-wicka” call which is somewhat similar to the Pileated woodpecker.

The common flicker is a striking bird, with a black crescent on the breast, lovely large brown spots on the lower breast and abdomen, and a white rump when it flies.  The neck is a warm tawny color and red patch on the nape provides a contrast to the warm browns on the back.

The flicker is a woodpecker, so it not only excavates nesting cavities and eats insects found under bark and in wood.  It is our only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground, searching for ants and beetles.  They are very fond of ants and may be seen on lawns pecking away.

There are estimated to be 20,000 species of ants in the world and currently the biomass of all the ants is about the same as the biomass of all the humans.

Ants are important in the food chain, not only to flickers and anteaters, but too many other birds and animals.  Ants are very important in seed dispersal, especially for our spring ephemerals.  Spring ephemerals are those little woodland flowers that will becoming up soon to grow and bloom before the deciduous trees leaf out and shade them.   These plants have evolved along with ants and the seeds have a structure called an elaiosome attached to them.   The elaisome is very nutritious to the ant, so the ant carries the seed to its nest where the elaisome is eaten and the seed discarded, to sprout and grow later.  Ants also fertilize some of these flowers since they bloom before flying insects are very active.   Ants also eat many types of insects including termites, thus providing biological pest control.

Ants burrow in the ground and excavate tunnels thus are important in natural soil aeration, helping humans in another way.  Many societies utilize ants as food, and some for medical purposes.

When the spring beauty, bloodroot, dutchman’s breeches, toothwort and other spring ephemerals appear in our woodlands, remember the common flicker!

Dorothy Tompkins — Master Naturalist and Bundoran Farm Steward

Filed under: Education and Inspiration, Nature/Environment