Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies)

A striking flight feather from the Northern Flicker, a large, brownish woodpecker known for its spotted underparts and black crescent bib. Unlike most woodpeckers, flickers are often seen hopping on lawns eating ants. In flight, the 'Red-shafted' version displays a brilliant flash of salmon-orange under the wings and tail.

Salmon-orange to reddish-pink rachis and basal vaning, transitioning into a dark brownish-black or charcoal tip. This is diagnostic of the Red-shafted subspecies.

Mostly pennaceous and tightly interlocked for aerodynamic efficiency, with some plumulaceous (downy) structure at the very base near the calamus.

Stiff and smooth with a slight gloss on the dark tip; the rachis is rigid to support the stresses of flight and drumming.

Vibrant salmon-orange rachis combined with a dark terminal tip; asymmetrical vane characteristic of primary flight feathers.

Open woodlands, forest edges, suburban parks, and yards; unique among woodpeckers for frequently foraging on the ground.

Western North America, from Southeast Alaska through the Rocky Mountains down into Mexico; overlaps and interbreeds with the Yellow-shafted form in the Great Plains.

Primary cavity nester; they excavate holes in dead wood that are later used by dozens of other species including bluebirds, owls, and squirrels.

Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (has yellow rachis), Gilded Flicker (found in desert southwest, different wing proportions).

Northern Flickers are one of the few North American woodpeckers that are strongly migratory. They also have a specialized long, barbed tongue that can extend 2 inches past the beak to lap up ants.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip and separation of barbs suggest it was molted naturally or recently dropped in the snow.