Northern Flicker

The red-shafted Northern Flicker is one of the most beautiful birds in our garden.

Latin name: Colaptes auratus

Length, wingspan: 12.5″, 20″

What they eat: Insects, berries, seeds, suet

Plants that attract: Trees (both coniferous and deciduous), along with woodlands and wetlands

Where they nest: In tree cavities or in large nest boxes (7″ sq., 16″ deep, 3″ entrance hole)

My observations: In the western states, we have the red-shafted Northern Flicker, which refers to the color seen in their wings. Flickers are one of the most beautifully-marked visitors to my garden. Like other woodpeckers, these guys hunt for insects under tree bark. They also poke around in the ground to find them. They are crazy about the suet we put out for them as well. During spring nesting season, the male flickers will pound their beaks on anything that makes plenty of noise. This includes chimney pipes and roof vents. They are hoping to get a female’s attention. This is frustrating for homeowners who are trying to sleep-in on a Saturday morning! Both males and females have a black bib. Males have a red malar stripe pointing outwards from the corners of their mouths. They are absolutely gorgeous birds! They are in our garden year-round.

In this video, you’ll see a female Northern Flicker doing a bit of a display for a nearby male. It then shows up in the second half:

The following footage shows a male Flicker hanging out in an aspen tree on a breezy day:

Would you like to learn more about the Northern Flicker? Check out this page on Cornell’s All About Birds website.

Back to My Backyard Birds