Birds
Chilean Flicker
Colaptes pitius
Digging into open soil for ants rather than climbing a tree trunk, a Chilean flicker forages across grassland and scrubland in a manner unusual for a woodpecker, though it still nests in tree cavities like its more typical relatives.
Overview
The Chilean flicker, Colaptes pitius, is a Least Concern bird native to grassland and forest habitat across Chile and Argentina. Its unusual ground-foraging habit, its strong ant-digging bill, and its preference for open woodland over dense forest make it one of the more ecologically distinctive woodpeckers found anywhere in South America.
A woodpecker that left the trees behind
Most woodpeckers spend their foraging lives climbing trunks and probing bark, but the Chilean flicker instead spends much of its time on open ground, digging for ants in habitat far more exposed than the forest interior favoured by most of its relatives.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable open woodland and scrubland habitat in Chile and Argentina.
Chilean Flicker: common questions
Why is the Chilean flicker's foraging style unusual for a woodpecker?
This species forages primarily on open ground, an unusual habit among woodpeckers, most of which forage by climbing and probing tree trunks and branches for insects.
How does the Chilean flicker find its food?
This species digs into soil and ant nests using a strong, sturdy bill, extracting prey from underground rather than from beneath tree bark like most other woodpeckers.
Does the Chilean flicker still use trees at all?
Yes, this species still nests in cavities excavated in trees, despite spending much of its foraging time on open ground away from any trees at all.
What kind of habitat does the Chilean flicker prefer?
This species favours open woodland, scrubland, and grassland edges, habitat considerably more open than that used by many other woodpecker species, including the Magellanic woodpecker.