Did you know that woodpeckers (like this great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major) store seeds, berries, and acorns for the winter? In late autumn, they use hollows in the trees to squirrel food for the winter (pun intended); and sometimes they sleep there too when the occasion calls for it. (på/i Lidingö) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg57aFnom-k/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
One of our good neighbors found this beautiful Northern Flicker on the road and picked him up to deliver him to the Center! Katie and Haley worked to examine and triage this patient, who had severe swelling in one wing and could not use that wing properly. X-rays (click through to see them!) revealed that this patient had a broken radius and an injured keel bone leading to internal trauma. The prognosis for recovery is guarded but optimistic and this bird will need time and medication to facilitate healing. Flickers are a kind of woodpecker that specializes in eating ants. The scientific name for this species, Colaptes auratus, translates to "a chiseler who is ornamented with gold" as a nod to both the behavior and appearance of this species.
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