Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker known for its brownish body barred with black, a white rump patch visible in flight, and a red nape mark. Unlike many other woodpeckers, they frequently forage on the ground for ants and beetles using a specialized barbed tongue.

Strikingly patterned with a bold black subterminal band separating a dark grey lower section from a pale grey to whitish tip, with characteristic dark barring visible along the vane

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels for strength, showing a small amount of plumulaceous down at the extreme base

Stiff, smooth, and matte finish with rigid vane structure built for durability and wear resistance

Distinctive pale tip followed by a bold black subterminal band and dark grey base with fine barring, characteristic of the species' strong rectrices

Open woodlands, forest edges, parks, suburban yards, and orchards with dead or dying trees for nesting and foraging

Widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada down through the United States and into parts of Central America

Primary cavity excavator that creates nesting holes utilized by numerous secondary cavity-nesting birds and mammals, while also helping control ant populations

Other woodpecker species such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker or Hairy Woodpecker, though their tail feather patterns generally lack the distinctive broad black band and pale tip combination of the flicker

Northern Flickers are one of the few woodpeckers that are strongly migratory in the northern parts of their range and regularly feed on the ground primarily consuming ants

Good condition, fresh appearance with intact barbs and minimal fraying or sun bleaching