What they like

Quiet, open spots with short vegetation. Think: park meadow, orchard, a lawn with a rough edge, herb-rich grassland. And above all: ants. Do: don’t mow everything short. Leave some grass short through grazing or phased mowing, and let other patches grow taller. Keep sandy spots open. Leave old trees standing, even if they’re “not so tidy” anymore. You can hang a nest box for woodpeckers (roomy model), but dead branches are gold.

Ecological importance

Ant-eater with a long tongue: it keeps ant nests in check and mainly hunts foraging ants. Its nesting cavities are later used by tits, treecreepers and bats. If it lives somewhere, it’s often a sign that things are right: soil, insects and trees are all doing well.

When in the Netherlands

Year-round. You hear it most in spring: that laugh rolls right through your neighbourhood or across your yard.

Status

Breeding bird and resident. Locally common, but vulnerable where lawns, verges and grasslands are mown too short and too often.