Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted Flicker, Common Flicker)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker with brownish plumage barred with black, a white rump patch visible in flight, and a black crescent on the chest. Unlike most woodpeckers, they frequently forage on the ground for ants and beetles.

Dark greyish-brown to black background prominently marked with neat, rounded white spots and dark barring along the edges.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs with strong hooklets, creating a stiff and rigid vane suitable for mechanical support during climbing.

Stiff, smooth, and matte finish with rigid vane structure and no fluffy down at the base.

Dark greyish-brown background with striking, distinct white spots and barring, coupled with a stiff rachis typical of woodpecker rectrices.

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, groves, and suburban parks with scattered trees and dead snags for nesting.

Widespread across North America, extending from Alaska and Canada down through the United States to Mexico and parts of Central America.

Acts as a key ecosystem engineer by excavating tree cavities used by numerous birds and mammals, and helps control ant and insect populations.

Other woodpecker species such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker or Downy Woodpecker, but their tail patterns are typically barred in black and white rather than boldly spotted.

Northern Flickers are one of the few North American woodpecker species that are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their range. They are also primary cavity excavators that create homes for dozens of secondary cavity-nesting species.

Good condition with minor wear at the tip and slight fraying along one side of the vane, indicating normal usage before being dropped.