Common Birds on the Farm, 



281 



quently go into the New East Building through open windows. There is. 

 a church in the woods on Roanoke Island, or was some years ago, which 

 the Flickers often entered. They also dug many large holes in the posts- 

 which supported the roof of the porch in front. I know of no reason^ 

 for this habit of going in buildings. Perhaps it is in quest of food, 

 maybe it is out of simple curiosity, or possibly it is in an endeavor to- 

 find somfe snug winter quarters, away from the cold winds. 



Although the Flicker is a true woodpecker, it is far more of a 

 ground-feeding bird than any other species of this family. They may 



^i/m 



Flicker. 



(After Beal, Farmers' Bulletin No. 5-',, Offlce of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department 



of Agriculture.) 



often be started from the ground in the fields or open woods where they 

 have been feeding on grasshoppers or other insects. 



The Bureau of Biological Survey of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture examined carefully the contents of 394 Flickers' stom- 

 achs taken in 28 states, including Canada. It was found that about 50 

 per cent, of their food consists of ants. The tremendous number of these 

 troublesome little pests which are killed, may be illustrated by the fact 

 that two stomachs were found to contain over 3,000 ants each. Flickers 

 also eat various insects and occasionally fruit in limited quantities. The 

 fruit and berries consumed appears to be largely wild in character, as 



