Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill.

This brown woodpecker flashes bright colors under the wings and tail when it flies. Its ringing calls and short bursts of drumming can be heard in spring almost throughout North America. Two very different-looking forms -- Yellow-shafted Flicker in the east and north, and Red-shafted Flicker in the west -- were once considered separate species.

The northern flicker or common flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate.

2024年1月17日 · With eye-catching and distinct spotted plumage, the northern flicker is arguably the most beautiful woodpecker in North America. But their unique behaviors and characteristics are what really excite birders across the country.

2024年6月21日 · The Northern Flicker is North America’s widest-ranging woodpecker, a common inhabitant of forest edges, savannas, and suburban areas from Alaska to Mexico to Maine. But it is also among the more unusual members of its family.

2023年3月9日 · The Northern Flicker is a large woodpecker with gentle expressions and black-scalloped plumage. They have long, flared tails that taper off, rounded heads, and slightly curved bills. When on a walk, you may find that you spook one up to the trees from the ground.

Large, brownish woodpecker with black barring on the back and black spots on the belly. Easily recognized in flight by its bright white rump. Also note large black crescent-shaped mark on breast. Wings and tail flash yellow or red, depending on the subspecies.