Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker with brownish plumage barred with black, a white rump visible in flight, and a gentle curved bill. Unlike most woodpeckers, they frequently forage on the ground for ants and beetles. They possess strong tail feathers with reinforced shafts used as props.

Striking barred pattern with distinct alternating bands of black, white, and warm buff-brown to rufous tones, featuring a prominent yellowish-orange rachis characteristic of the yellow-shafted form

Strongly pennaceous and tightly interlocked along the vane, featuring stiff, durable barbs and robust hooklets without an afterfeather

Stiff, smooth, and rigid with a matte finish, lacking oiliness, designed to withstand abrasive friction against rough tree bark

Distinctive bold black-and-white barring, warm buff or brownish background tones, a stiff pointed tip, and a brightly colored yellowish or salmon-orange central shaft (rachis)

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, suburban parks, and semi-open country with scattered trees and snags for nesting

Widespread across North America, extending from Alaska and Canada down through the United States and into parts of Central America and the Caribbean

Primary cavity excavator that creates nesting homes utilized by numerous secondary cavity nesters, while also playing a major role in controlling ground-dwelling insect populations

Other woodpecker species such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker or Downy Woodpecker, though their tail feather patterns generally lack the distinct bold barring and bright shaft coloration of the Flicker

Northern Flickers are one of the few woodpecker species that are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their range. They can consume thousands of ants in a single day using a sticky, barbed tongue that extends nearly two inches beyond their bill tip.

Good condition, showing a clean, intact vane with minimal fraying at the pointed tip and vibrant coloration