Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted subspecies)

The Northern Flicker is a large, brownish woodpecker with a black bib and spotted belly. It flashes bright yellow or red under the wings and tail in flight, and sports a prominent white rump patch. Their flight is deeply undulating, a classic woodpecker trait.

Mottled brown/tan base with a series of large, distinct creamy-white to yellowish oval spots (ovate markings) along the inner vane. The underside of the rachis may show a hint of yellow or salmon depending on the subspecies.

Densely packed pennaceous barbs designed for flight stability; the trailing edge is wide while the leading edge is very narrow. Barbules are interlocked for rigidity.

Relatively stiff and smooth; the surface is matte to slightly glossy. Woodpecker feathers are more rigid than songbird feathers to withstand the stresses of climbing and drumming.

Distinctive oval white/cream spots on a brown background, stiff rachis, and significant asymmetry of the vane.

Open woodlands, forest edges, yards, and parks. Flickers are unique among woodpeckers for frequently foraging on the ground for ants.

Found across North America, from the tree line in Canada and Alaska south to the Gulf of Mexico and into Central America. Northern populations are migratory.

Primary cavity nester; they create holes in dead or decaying trees that are later used by dozens of other species (secondary cavity nesters) such as bluebirds and owls.

Hairy Woodpecker (much smaller feathers), Pileated Woodpecker (much larger, darker feathers), and Red-bellied Woodpecker (different barring pattern).

Unlike most other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers primarily eat ants and beetles they dig out of the ground with their long, barbed tongues. A single flicker can consume over 5,000 ants in one sitting.

Fair to Good; shows significant wear and fraying at the tip and along the trailing edge, suggesting this may be a naturally molted feather at the end of its wear cycle.