Bird
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratusAlso known as Yellowhammer, Common Flicker, Harry-wicket, Yarrup
Northern flickers spend much of their time foraging on the ground, probing anthills with long, sticky, barb-tipped tongues. They are striking birds with patterned brown plumage, bold black crescents across their chests, and flashing yellow or red underwings in flight. Their loud call notes and rhythmic drumming on wooden structures or trees make them conspicuous spring residents across North America.
MigratoryInsectivoreVocal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAnts, Beetle Larvae, Berries
Predators
- Hawks
- Owls
- Domestic Cats
ThreatsHabitat loss, competition for nest cavities from European starlings
HabitatsOpen woodlands, forest edges, suburbs, parks, and savannas
Life span6–9 years in the wild
Classification
- OrderPiciformes
- FamilyPicidae
- GenusColaptes
- SpeciesColaptes auratus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observing Ground Feeding: Scan lawns and open field edges where they hop along searching for anthills.
- Listening for Drumming: Pay attention to metallic or resonant wooden drumming noises during early spring courtship.
- Attracting to Yards: Install specialized woodpecker nest boxes packed with wood shavings in suitable habitats.
Competitor "Red bellied Woodpecker" by Manjith Kainickara *manjithkaini.net* is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Predator "Cooper's Hawk - immature" by Kaaren Perry is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Nest Competitor (c) Shiva Shenoy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Shiva Shenoy · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Bill Levine, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bill Levine · cc-by
Family Relative "Male Downy Woodpecker" by ShenandoahNPS is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. · cc0
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