Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted subspecies), also known as Common Flicker
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Aves, Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae, Genus: Colaptes, Species: Colaptes auratus · Picidae (Woodpeckers) · Contour (breast or upper flank body feather)
Species
Colaptes auratus
Feather Type
Contour (breast or upper flank body feather)
Family
Picidae (Woodpeckers)
Shape
Symmetrical and rounded at the distal tip, spatulate-to-ovoid overall outline with a broad base transition into down.
Size
Approximately 2.5 to 3.5 cm in length. This is consistent with the smaller body contour feathers found on the breast or neck area of a medium-sized woodpecker.
Rarity
Common; one of the most frequently seen and heard woodpeckers in North America.
Color & Pattern
Features a light greyish-buff base with a prominent, large, dark brownish-black subterminal spot or 'heart' shape split by the rachis. The very tip has a narrow light margin.
Barb Structure
The distal portion is tightly pennaceous with interlocked barbs; the proximal half is highly plumulaceous (downy) for insulation. The transition between structures is abrupt and distinct.
Texture & Surface
Matte and soft. The upper portion is smooth and firm to the touch, while the lower portion is exceptionally silky and airy.
Description
This feather belongs to the Northern Flicker, a large, brownish woodpecker with a black breast colonial crescent and spotted underparts. They are unique for their ground-foraging habits and flashes of bright color under the wings (yellow in the East, red in the West).
Key Features
The 'double-lobed' dark spot on a greyish-brown background and the large, fluffy downy base are classic diagnostic traits for Flicker breast/flank feathers.
Habitat
Open woodlands, forest edges, yards, parks, and agricultural lands. Highly terrestrial for a woodpecker, often foraging on the ground.
Geographic Range
Widespread across North America, from the treeline in Alaska and Canada throughout the United States and into Central America. Northern populations are migratory.
Condition Notes
Excellent condition. The barbs are mostly intact with minimal fraying, suggesting it was recently molted or lost during preening.
Interesting Facts
Unlike most woodpeckers that hammer wood for larvae, Flickers specialize in eating ants and beetles from the ground, using their long, barbed tongues to lap them up.
Ecological Role
Primary cavity nester that provides essential housing for many secondary cavity-nesting species; also a significant predator of ground-dwelling insects.
Similar Species
Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) - very similar but limited to desert southwest; other woodpeckers typically have barred or solid patterns rather than these large distinct spots.