The Northern Flicker - Colaptes auratus - is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It one of the few woodpecker species that migrates. They can be found in open habitats near trees, including woodlands, yards, and parks.

Description

Adults are brown with black bars on the back and wings. A black patch on the upper breast, with the lower breast and belly are beige with black spots. Males can be identified by a black or red moustachial stripe at the base of the beak. The tail is dark on top, a white rump which is conspicuous in flight.

Call

This bird's call is a sustained laugh, ki ki ki ki .... Like most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers drum on objects as a form of communication and territory defense.

Food

Flickers are the only woodpeckers that frequently feed on the ground, probing with their beak, also sometimes catching insects in flight. They also eat fruit, berries, seeds and nuts. Their primary food is insects and Ants make up 45% of their diet. They have a behavior called “anting”, during which they use the acid from the ants to assist in preening to help keep them free of parasites.

Breeding

Their breeding habitat consists of forested areas across North America. They generally nest in holes in trees like other woodpeckers. Occasionally, they’ve been found nesting in old, earthen burrows vacated by Kingfishers or Swallows. Both sexes help with nest excavation. A typical clutch consists of 6 to 8 eggs whose shells are pure white with a smooth surface and high gloss. The eggs are the second largest of the North American woodpecker species. Incubation is by both sexes for approximately 11 to 12 days. The young are fed by regurgitation and fledge about 25 to 28 days after hatching.

Migration

Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents.

Conservation status – Least Concern

Birdwatching

See the Northern Flicker at Antelope Island, Utah.