Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized, brownish woodpecker with a barred back and spotted underparts. Unlike most woodpeckers, they frequently forage on the ground for ants and beetles. They have a rolling, musical cackle and a bouncing flight style.

Dark brownish-black background with distinctive white to pale buff rounded spots or barring along the edges of the vanes, creating a scalloped appearance. The rachis is dark near the tip and transitions to whitish near the base.

Pennaceous upper portion with tightly interlocked barbs transitioning to a plumulaceous (fluffy) downy base

Smooth and firm along the upper pennaceous portion, becoming soft and fluffy at the base. Matte finish without iridescence.

Dark brown or blackish feather body sharply marked with contrasting white or buff spots/bars, coupled with a fluffy base typical of a woodpecker covert.

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, suburban parks, and semi-open country with scattered trees and snags for nesting.

Widespread across North America, extending south into parts of Central America and the Caribbean. Migratory in northern parts of its range.

Primary cavity excavator that creates nesting sites used by many other secondary cavity-nesting birds and mammals. Important controller of ant and insect populations.

Red-bellied Woodpecker or Downy Woodpecker feathers, though flickers have uniquely rounded spots and brownish tones distinct from the stark black-and-white barring of many other species.

Northern Flickers can consume thousands of ants in a single day, using a specialized sticky tongue that can extend nearly two inches beyond the tip of the bill.

Good condition with minor wear at the very tip, barbs are largely intact and the structure remains solid.