Sunday 26 September 2010

Black Woodpecker carrying faecal sac

In this photo an adult male Black Woodpecker is flying from a nest with a faecal sac in its beak. These sacs are made of a mucous membrane and hold the soft droppings of chicks. Woodpeckers usually keep their nesting cavities very clean, removing the droppings of their chicks in this way after feeding bouts. This great shot was taken by Jari Peltomäki in Finland.