Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
At a Glance
This brown woodpecker flashes bright colors under the wings and tail when it flies. The Northern Flicker's ringing calls and short bursts of drumming can be heard in spring throughout most of North America. Two very different-looking forms -- Yellow-shafted Flicker in the east and north, and Red-shafted Flicker in the west -- were once considered separate species. They interbreed wherever their ranges come in contact. On the western Great Plains, there is a broad zone where all the flickers are intergrades between Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Tree-clinging Birds, Woodpeckers
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Coasts and Shorelines, Desert and Arid Habitats, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Undulating
Population
12.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Northern Yellow-shafted Flickers from Alaska and Canada are strongly migratory, most traveling east and then south. Big flights move down the Atlantic Coast in the fall, migrating by day. Red-shafted Flickers often migrate shorter distances, moving southward and from mountains into lowlands; some spread eastward on the Great Plains in winter.
Description
Sexes similar — Length: 11–12 in (28–31 cm); wingspan: 17–20 in (43–51 cm); weight: 4–6 oz (113–170 g). The Northern Flicker has a brown back with narrow black bars, a black chest patch, and spots on the belly. The eastern "Yellow-shafted" form features bright yellow underwings and tail, a red crescent on the back of the head, a tan face, and a gray crown. The male has a black mustache stripe. The western "Red-shafted" has salmon-pink underwings and tail, a gray face, and a brown crown; the male has a red mustache stripe. Where the forms meet (southwestern Canada and western Great Plains), they interbreed freely, producing many intermediates.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Red, Tan, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Broad, Rounded
Tail Shape
Multi-pointed, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
A loud, repeated flicker or wicka-wicka-wicka; also a loud kleeer.
Call Pattern
Flat, Rising
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Drum, Rattle, Scream
Habitat
Open forests, woodlots, groves, towns, semi-open country. With its wide range, from Alaska to Nicaragua, the Northern Flicker can be found in almost any habitat with trees. Tends to avoid dense unbroken forest, requiring some open ground for foraging. This species may be found in very open country with few trees.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Northern Flicker
Behavior
Eggs
5-8, sometimes 3-12. White. Incubation is by both sexes (with male incubating at night and part of day), 11-16 days.
Young
Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Young leave nest about 4 weeks after hatching, are fed by parents at first, later following them to good foraging sites. 1 brood per year, or 2 in south.
Feeding Behavior
Forages by hopping on the ground, climbing tree trunks and limbs, and occasionally flying out to catch insects in the air. The Northern Flicker will also perch in outer branches to eat fruits and berries. Has been reported catching young bats leaving their roost in Wyoming.
Diet
Mostly ants and other insects. The Northern Flicker probably eats ants more frequently than any other North American bird. Also feeds on beetles, termites, caterpillars, and other insects. Eats many fruits and berries, especially in fall and winter, and eats seeds and nuts at times.
Nesting
Male Northern Flickers defend nesting territory with calling, drumming, and many aggressive displays, including swinging their heads back and forth, flicking their wings open, and spreading their tails to show off their bright undersides. Courtship displays are mostly similar. Nest site is a cavity in a tree or post, rarely in a burrow in the ground. Tree cavities are usually in dead wood; pine, cottonwood, and willow are among the favored trees. Cavity excavated by both sexes, typically 6-20 ft above ground, sometimes much higher (to 100' or more).
Conservation
Conservation Status
Although still abundant and widespread, recent surveys indicate declines in population over much of the range since the 1960s. Introduced starlings compete with flickers for freshly excavated nesting sites, may drive the flickers away.
Climate Threats Facing the Northern Flicker
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
