The Northern Flicker is a distinctive woodpecker found across North America, known for its unique ground-foraging habits. Unlike most woodpeckers, it frequently seeks food on the ground. Its striking plumage and varied vocalizations make it a notable presence in diverse environments.
Key Identifying Features
The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized woodpecker, typically measuring 11 to 14 inches in length with a wingspan ranging from 16 to 21 inches. Its overall appearance is brownish, with a back patterned by black barring and a light tan to off-white breast adorned with prominent black spots. A broad black band, resembling a crescent or “bib,” is also visible across its upper chest.
Distinctive markings vary between the two main groups: the Yellow-shafted Flicker, found in the East, and the Red-shafted Flicker, prevalent in the West. Yellow-shafted males display a black mustache stripe and a red patch on the back of the neck, with bright yellow feather shafts visible under their wings and tail. Conversely, Red-shafted males have a red mustache stripe, a gray face, and reddish-orange feather shafts under their wings and tail, lacking the red nape patch. Both forms share a prominent white rump patch, which becomes particularly noticeable during their undulating flight.
Unique Behaviors and Sounds
Northern Flickers often spend considerable time foraging on the ground. They use their slightly curved bills to probe into soil, anthills, and rotting wood, primarily seeking out ants and beetles. Their long, barbed tongues, which can extend up to two inches beyond the beak tip, are adapted with sticky saliva to efficiently capture these ground-dwelling insects. Ants alone can constitute nearly half of their diet, with one flicker’s stomach reportedly containing over 5,000 ants.
Northern Flickers drum on resonant surfaces for communication and territorial defense, rather than solely for excavating food. This can include natural objects like dead tree limbs or even artificial structures such as metal objects, house siding, or utility poles, aiming to produce the loudest possible sound. Their vocalizations are varied, including a loud, ringing “wicka-wicka-wicka” call, a “kew” call, and a sustained, laughter-like “ki ki ki ki”. These calls and drumming serve to announce their presence, attract mates, and define their territory.
Habitat and Diet
Northern Flickers thrive in a variety of open habitats across North America. They prefer open woodlands, forest edges, savannas, and suburban areas like parks and gardens. While they can be found in dense forests, they generally require some open space and do not typically nest in the thickest parts of woodlands.
Their diet is primarily insectivorous, with ants being a staple. Beyond ants, their diet also includes termites, beetles, caterpillars, and other small invertebrates. During colder months, when insects are less abundant, flickers supplement their diet with fruits, berries, and seeds, such as those from wild cherries, dogwood, sumac, and poison ivy.
Conservation Status and Interaction with Humans
The Northern Flicker is a widespread species across North America, and its population is generally considered common. However, localized declines have been observed in some areas, potentially due to factors such as habitat loss and competition for nest holes, particularly with European Starlings. Despite these challenges, the species benefits from the spread of residential development and forest fragmentation, which can increase suitable habitat with open areas.
Interactions between Northern Flickers and humans are frequent, especially in suburban settings where they may drum on houses, utility poles, or other structures. This drumming is primarily for communication and territorial display rather than foraging, and it can sometimes be a nuisance to homeowners. Nesting in cavities within trees or even human-made structures in suburban areas is also common. While they typically do not visit bird feeders, their presence is common in backyards with a mix of trees and open ground.