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Across the road from here is a large area of parkland, which looks spot-on for Green Woodies, so it’s not really that surprising that at least two have come to our garden so far (one male, one female).
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Though they nest in holes in trees, like other woodpeckers, that’s not where they find the majority of their food. The green feathers are a clue that they spend a huge amount of time on the ground, foraging for ants. The long, strong beak is used as a chisel to dig in search of ant colonies, while the long, sticky tongue (which coils up inside the bird’s head) fishes the ants out.
They’re really beautiful, striking birds, with a pale grey-blue iris, which gives them a slightly reptilian look, grass-green wings, red crown and a moustache which is all black in females, but with a red centre in males.