Photographed by Nicole Bouglouan in France, Sept 2007. It is summer visitor to France, and it travels to Africa, south of the Sahara, for wintering. This strange bird between scales and feathers moves as a snake, hisses as a snake, and has a snake appearance with its cryptic plumage. It belongs to the Picidae family, but it doesn’t climb on trees as woodpeckers. It moves on branches as other birds, because it doesn’t have stiff tail feathers. It feeds mainly on ants, and catches them with its long tongue (about 8 to 10 cm). When bill is closed, the tongue is rolled up into the mouth. It nests in cavities, even if they are occupied. It removes nest materials, eggs and chicks of other species, and builds its nest inside the cavity. On this picture, we can see this stunning cryptic plumage, providing to this bird a very good camouflage when it feeds on ground.