Colaptes auratus
northern flicker

This woodpecker ranges from Alaska eastward to Quebec, then south throughout the entire United States. Northern Flickers are migratory and winter in the southern part of this range and in northern Mexico (Palmer and Fowler 1975, Farrand, Jr. 1988, Winkler et al. 1995). In addition, these woodpeckers are found on Grand Cayman, Cuba, and range as far south as the highlands of Nicaragua (Winkler et al. 1995).

These woodpeckers are found in wooded areas that have stands of dead trees (Palmer and Fowler 1975). They are also found in open areas, forest edges, clear-cut areas, burnt areas, agricultural lands, and residential areas (Winkler et al. 1995).

This bird is 30 to 35 cm in length (Palmer and Fowler 1975, Winkler et al. 1995). Its wingspan is 54.1 cm, tail length is 12.2 cm, and bill length is 4.2 cm (Palmer and Fowler 1975). This is the only woodpecker to have a gray-brown barred back and white rump. The male has a tan head, gray crown, red nape, black moustache, and a black cresent on the breast. Underneath, the male is light tan with heavy black spotting. The tail is black on top. In the Eastern form, Yellow-shafted Flicker, the male has yellow underwings and under the tail, while the Western form, the Red-shafted Flicker, has reddish underwings (Peterson 1967, Palmer and Fowler 1975, Farrand, Jr. 1988).

The breeding season occurs from February to July (Winkler et al. 1995). The nest is excavated in dead tree trunks, dead parts of live trees, or telephone poles (Palmer and Fowler 1975, Winkler et al. 1995). These woodpeckers will build nests in nestboxes (Palmer and Fowler 1975). Nests are usually built below 3 m (Winkler et al. 1995).

There are 3 to 12 white, glossy eggs per clutch (Winkler et al. 1995). Larger clutches have been reported (Palmer and Fowler 1975), but these clutches are the result of eggs from more than one female (Winkler et al. 1995). The eggs are approximately 3 cm by 2.2 cm and weigh 7 g. Both parents incubate the eggs for 11 to 16 days. One or two annual broods occur (Palmer and Fowler 1975).

Both parents help to incubate the eggs and care for nestlings. After the nestling period of 25 to 28 days, the young remain with the parents for some time, calling to the parents to be fed. Young flickers will molt to adult plumage from June to October.

The longest lifespan recorded is 9 years and 2 months for a yellow-shafted form of the Northern Flicker and 6 years and 8 months for a red-shafted form of the Northern Flicker. Most Northern Flickers probably live much less than this, maybe surviving only a few years.

Male flickers recognize females by sight. To protect his mate or territory, birds of the same sex become aggressive toward each other (Palmer and Fowler 1975). Aggressive displays such as "bill directing" or "bill poking" are used by flickers. That is, a flicker may point his bill at a rival with his head inclined forward, or actually peck at an opponent. A more aggressive display is "head swinging," whereby a flicker will use side-to-side movements of his head and body against an opponent. There is also a "head bobbing" display that may be used. Sometimes tail spreading accompanies head swinging or bobbing displays (Short 1982, Bent 1992).

Young flickers will molt to adult plumage from June to October (Palmer and Fowler 1975). After the nestling period of 25 to 28 days, the young remain with the parents for some time, calling to the parents to be fed (Winkler et al. 1995).

Flickers have a deeply undulating flight. Their song is a loud "wick wick wick wick wick," while individual notes sound like a loud "klee-yer" and a squeaky "flick-a flick-a flick-a" (Peterson 1967).

Aggressive displays such as "bill directing" or "bill poking" are used by flickers. That is, a flicker may point his bill at a rival with his head tilted forward, or actually peck at an opponent. A more aggressive display is "head swinging," whereby a flicker will use side-to-side movements of his head and body against an opponent. There is also a "head bobbing" display that may be used. Sometimes tail spreading accompanies head swinging or bobbing displays.

Flickers sing during flight. Their song is a loud "wick wick wick wick wick," while individual notes sound like a loud "klee-yer" and a squeaky "flick-a flick-a flick-a."

Their chief food is ants. Other insects they consume include grasshoppers, crickets, termites, wasps, aphids, beetles and their larvae, caterpillars, and spiders. Cherries and the berries of dogwood, Virgina creeper, poison ivy, sumac, hackberry, and blackgum are also important foods as well as weed seeds, acorns, and other types of nut kernals (Palmer and Fowler 1975, Winkler et al. 1995). In the fall and winter, greater than half their food intake is in the form of fruit (Palmer and Fowler 1975).

Northern flickers do not respond strongly to predators. They may make tentative flights around the predator or make bill-poking movements towards the predator. Young in the nest are vulnerable to nest predators such as raccoons, squirrels, and snakes. Once they reach adulthood, northern flickers are preyed upon by several birds of prey that specialize on hunting birds. In eastern North America this includes Cooper's hawks and sharp-shinned hawks.

Northern Flickers help to control the populations of their invertebrate prey, especially ant populations. They also create nests that are later used by other cavity-nesting species of birds and by squirrels.

These woodpeckers are very useful destroyers of insect pests, including the European corn borer. Since they have a particular taste for ants, these woodpeckers also eliminate plant-injuring aphids which provide "honeydew" for ants (Palmer and Fowler 1975).

Populations are not seriously endangered by human activity, although human activity sometimes destroys their habitat. Few conservation measures are being taken because Northern Flickers are not recognized as endangered. As a migratory North American bird they are protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Act.