With winter fading from Revelstoke's streets, you may notice a polka-dotted, larger-than-usual avian zipping around the neighbourhood on a sunny afternoon.
This pair of northern flickers, pictured at the tip of Fourth Street East by Victoria Road, has grown quite comfortable in the community, apparently known to take up residence in nearby Southside.
These flyers can seem so happy hopping about the ground, rather than taking refuge in the trees like other woodpeckers, they channel the peppy nature of worm-seeking American robins.
A unique melange of tints and spots on this lighter, browner woodpecker includes its signature neon-orange feathers, which can't be mistaken when found on the forest floor.
As if this bird wasn't already one of a kind, it boasts two subspecies found across B.C. The yellow-shafted variety occurs in the province's north, while Revelstoke enjoys the red-shafted race.
For anyone wondering how birds maintain good hygiene, the secret ingredient for flickers is certainly exotic: formic acid from ants.
Using this liquid formula to kill off parasites embedded on their skin and feathers, the birds especially enjoy preening themselves with ant juice after a nice oil- and bacteria-cleansing dust bath.
Look out for these jolly flickers around the trees and bushes in your yard - bears aren't the only ones in town who'll stop by for berries and other fruit!
