Description: The Northern Flicker (commonly called Yellowhammer)
appears different in the eastern United States
than in the western United States. The east
and midwest have the Yellow-Shafted Flicker
and the west has the Red-Shafted Flicker.
The Gilded Flicker of the southwest is very
similar to the Red-Shafted Flicker, but is
considered a separate species. In locations
where the ranges of the Yellow-Shafted and
Red-Shafted Flicker overlap, the variations
interbreed. In other words, in parts of the
western Great Plains, where the Yellow-Shafted
Flicker lives with the Red-Shafted Flicker,
a male Yellow-Shafted may take a female Red-Shafted
as a mate, or vice versa.
The
Northern Flicker is a large woodpecker, measuring
about 11 inches in length. The male yellow-shafted
has a brown back and wings speckled with black,
spotted underparts and a buff colored face. The
male also has a gray cap and nape, with a red section
on the neck. The breast has a large crescent-shaped
black marking. In flight, Yellow-Shafted Flickers
have bright yellow wing shafts, and a noticeable
white rump. As is the case with all Flickers, males
have a "mustache" extending from the bill,
whereas females do not. The male Yellow Shafted
Flicker has a black mustache.
The
Red-Shafted Flicker is the same size, but has a
gray face, a brown cap and nape, and males have
a red mustache extending from the bill. Red-Shafted
Flickers show bright red wing shafts in flight.
The
Gilded Flicker is somewhat of a combination of the
two. It is identical to the Red-Shafted Flicker
but has bright yellow wing shafts like the Yellow-Shafted
Flicker, unlike the Red-Shafted Flicker's red wing
shafts.
Diet: The Common Flicker is one of the only woodpeckers
to regularly hunt for ants on the ground. Flickers
eat insects and occasionally seeds.
Range: The Northern
Flicker ranges throughout southern Canada and the
United States.
Habitat: Gardens, yards, open areas, woodland edges, deserts,
mountainous areas, and open woodlands.
Status: The Northern Flicker is common, but may be declining
in some areas.
Female Northern Flicker Video
Northern Flicker Song
