They are differentiated by red or yellow (gold) shaft color of the wing and tail feathers, as well as by the presence or absence of a nape patch. These two races were once considered separate species. It is also found in Cuba.Įleven Northern Flicker subspecies have been identified, and the species is further divided into red-shafted and yellow-shafted races. states into Mexico, reaching into Central America as far south as northern Nicaragua. The Northern Flicker is the most widespread woodpecker species in North America, found from the northern treeline south through the lower 48 U.S. The ants secrete formic acid on the bird's plumage, which helps to repel lice and other parasites that commonly infest bird feathers. Like the Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, this bird will visit larger-sized suet feeders in the winter.Īlong with the Common Grackle and many other bird species, the Northern Flicker sometimes engages in an interesting behavior known as "anting." A bird will lie on the ground near an ant nest, allowing the insects to crawl over and among its feathers. During the winter, more than half of its diet is comprised of wild fruits and nuts. This woodpecker also dines on other insects and their larvae, as well as fruit, especially wild cherries, wild grapes, and dogwood, sumac, and poison ivy berries. Ants make up much of its diet during the nesting season: One flicker's stomach was found to contain more than 5,000 ants! There, it uses its long, slightly curved bill to probe into the soil, anthills, and rotting wood for ants, grubs, and other invertebrates. Unlike other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker is commonly seen on the ground. Each time the bird extends its tongue, it gets re-coated with the sticky stuff - a veritable moving ant trap. The Northern Flicker also has large salivary glands that produce sticky saliva. Northern Flicker by Ken Griffiths, Shutterstock This lengthy tongue is supported by an elongated hyoid bone, which extends into the bird's upper mandible. It's the perfect tool for probing into anthills. The Northern Flicker has an extra-long tongue that can extend up to two inches past the tip of its beak. The tongues of most woodpeckers are adapted to spear and extract insects from wood, but the flicker's tongue is a bit different - in ways advantageous for lapping up large numbers of ants.Īll woodpeckers have an elongated tongue attached to an arrangement of bones, cartilage, and muscles known as the hyoid apparatus, which wraps around the bird's skull, ending near the rear of its eye sockets. The Northern Flicker is as noisy as it is flashy, so it's no surprise that over the years, it earned a host of folk names, including yellowhammer, harry-wicket, wick-up, and yarrup. Easily recognized as it springs into flight, the flicker flashes a large white rump patch and bright red- or gold-colored wing linings. This brownish-gray woodpecker, larger than an American Robin, has a black-barred back and is spangled below with black polka-dots. The Northern Flicker is a standout, even in an unusual family of birds that includes the pink-and-green, flycatching Lewis's Woodpecker and the clown-faced, nut-hoarding Acorn Woodpecker. Northern Flicker range map by American Bird Conservancy
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