PECKING ORDER

We have three species of woodpecker that commonly visit our feeders.  All three are shown in this photo as they wait to get their turn at the suet feeder. On the suet is the Red-bellied woodpecker, to its right is the Downy woodpecker, and at the lower left is a similar, but larger relative, the Hairy woodpecker. All three eat both suet and sunflower seeds. The tail of a Blue Jay is also visiable in this photo.  There is a definite "pecking" order to who gets to feed first. The most aggresive is the Red-billied, then the Jay, then the Hairy, and lastly the Downy. Perhaps this is where the phrase "pecking order" came from.