Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, unique woodpecker with brownish plumage barred with black, a white rump visible in flight, and a gentle curved bill. Unlike most woodpeckers, they spend a lot of time on the ground foraging for ants.

Striking black and white barring with a characteristic golden-yellow or orange-yellow shaft (rachis) base clearly visible, indicating the Yellow-shafted subspecies form.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs with strong hooklets for rigidity, typical of a support tail feather.

Stiff, smooth, and relatively glossy with tight vane cohesion to withstand friction against rough tree bark.

Bold black and white bars combined with a bright yellow (or orange-yellow) rachis shaft.

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, brushy areas, suburban yards, and parks with scattered trees.

Widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada down through the United States and into Mexico.

Primary cavity nesters that create homes for themselves and dozens of secondary cavity-nesting species, while controlling ant populations in forest and grassland ecosystems.

Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus cafer), which features bright red-orange rachises instead of yellow.

Unlike typical woodpeckers that drill into wood for insects, Northern Flickers specialize in eating ants and beetles, often foraging directly on the ground with a specialized barbed tongue.

Good condition with minor tip wear typical of ground or bark contact during foraging.

Valley river MB in a field on the ground