Would you please identify these birds? I have been unable to find them in my book. Perhaps you can suggest a good guide? – R.E. Boyer, Saint JohnOne bird is a northern Flicker, one of our larger woodpeckers that spends a lot of time on the ground feeding on insects such as ants (they love ants!). The second bird is a rock pigeon, commonly just called a “pigeon.” Rock pigeons are native to Europe and were brought to North America by early settlers. Because of centuries of selective breeding, the species exhibits a wide variation of colour and even size and shape. This one appears typical in colouration, although on the darker side of the normal range. – Jim Wilson