Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (Common Flicker, Yellowhammer)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker with brownish barred upperparts, a spotted breast, a black crescent on the chest, and a prominent red nape mark (in yellow-shafted forms).

Bright golden-yellow rachis and proximal vane sections transitioning to a clean white/buff area, ending abruptly in a bold, solid black tip.

Pennaceous vane distally with tightly interlocked barbs near the colored tip, transitioning to a more plumulaceous or loose base near the follicle attachment.

Stiff and resilient texture with a smooth, semi-glossy surface finish, designed for durability against rough tree bark.

Bright golden-yellow color of the central shaft (rachis) and underside of the wing and tail feathers, combined with a stark black terminal tip.

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, suburban parks, and orchards containing scattered trees and snags.

Widespread across North America, extending into parts of Central America and the Caribbean, with northern populations migrating south for winter.

Key cavity excavator creating nesting sites for numerous secondary cavity nesters such as bluebirds, swallows, and small owls.

Red-shafted Northern Flicker, which features reddish-pink shafts and undersides instead of bright yellow.

Unlike most woodpeckers that hammer wood to excavate, flickers spend a great deal of time foraging on the ground primarily eating ants and beetles.

Good condition with intact barbs and a clean black tip, showing minimal wear or fraying.