Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker known for its brownish body barred with black, a white rump patch visible in flight, and a dotted breast marked with a prominent black crescent. Unlike most woodpeckers, they frequently feed on the ground primarily on ants and beetles. The yellow-shafted form displays brilliant golden-yellow underwings and tail shafts when in flight

Bright yellow rachis (shaft) with olive-brown to brownish-gray barbs on the upper vane surface and a lighter, yellowish-white underside, characteristic of the eastern 'yellow-shafted' subspecies

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbules providing a smooth, stiff surface for flight; intact and well-maintained condition

Smooth, firm, and resilient with a semi-glossy finish on the dorsal side, optimized for aerodynamic efficiency

Brilliant yellow rachis contrasting with olive-brown barbs, distinctive shape and size of a medium woodpecker remex

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, suburban parks, and agricultural areas with scattered trees and snags for nesting

Widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada down through the United States and into Mexico, with eastern populations being the yellow-shafted form

Key cavity excavator in forest ecosystems, creating nesting sites utilized by numerous secondary cavity nesters including bluebirds, swallows, owls, and small mammals. They also help control pest ant populations

Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus cafer), which features brilliant red rachises and underwing linings instead of yellow

Northern Flickers are one of the few woodpeckers that are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their range. They have an exceptionally long, barbed tongue that can extend nearly two inches beyond the tip of their bill to lap up ants from underground colonies

Good condition, fresh appearance with minimal wear and no visible fault bars or parasitic damage

Wisconsin