Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies)

The Northern Flicker is a large, unique woodpecker with a grayish-brown barred back and a black crescent on the breast. Unlike most woodpeckers, they are frequently seen on the ground. Western birds (Red-shafted) feature flashy reddish wing linings visible in flight.

Rich dark brown to charcoal-gray ground color with prominent, distinct white ovate spots along the outer vane. The underside of the rachis in this western subspecies typically shows a salmon-pink or reddish tint, though the dorsal view is predominantly dark.

Tightly interlocked and pennaceous throughout most of the vane, creating a stiff and aerodynamic surface; distal edges show minor wear but remain largely intact.

Smooth and somewhat stiff with a matte to semi-glossy finish; the vane is firm to the touch, designed for high-impact flight through wooded environments.

Bold white spotting on a dark brown background combined with a stiff, slightly curved rachis. The size and specific spotted pattern are diagnostic for Colaptes auratus secondaries.

Open woodlands, forest edges, suburban yards, and parks; frequently found foraging on the ground for ants.

Common across North America; the Red-shafted variety is the dominant form in Western North America, including Bend, Oregon.

Primary cavity nester; they excavate holes in dead trees that provide essential nesting habitat for dozens of other 'secondary' cavity-nesting species like bluebirds and small owls.

Hairy Woodpecker (smaller, different spotting), Downy Woodpecker (much smaller), or Pileated Woodpecker (much larger with different white distribution).

Northern Flickers are one of the few North American woodpeckers that are strongly migratory. They primarily eat ants, using their long, barbed tongues to lap them up from underground galleries.

Good condition; the tip shows slight fraying (distal wear), suggesting it was molted naturally at the end of a season.

In bend or