Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted form; often called a Yellowhammer)

A medium-large woodpecker with a brown, spotted back, barred underparts, black chest crescent, and white rump. Flickers have a bounding flight and a loud, ringing call; this feather’s bold barring is consistent with the species, but not diagnostic alone.

Creamy white to pale buff with broad black transverse bars and a dark terminal area; shaft dark through much of the vane. Yellow-shafted and Red-shafted flickers differ in concealed shaft and underwing/undertail colors, not clearly shown here.

Pennaceous vanes with interlocking barbs; some loose, displaced barbs near the base. No clear aftershaft is visible.

Straight, slender dark rachis; barbs lie closely together in the broad vane, with dark bands crossing the pale ground.

Smooth, flat, matte-to-satin vane; base is soft and somewhat ruffled, with no obvious gloss or contamination.

Probably tail or wing. Strong black-and-white barring resembles Northern Flicker flight and tail feathers, but the image does not establish position.

Broad pale vane crossed by conspicuous black bars and a dark tip; this pattern fits flicker feathers but cannot confirm species by itself.

Open woodlands, forest edges, parks, and suburban areas; nests in cavities and forages mainly on the ground for ants.

Across much of North America. Yellow-shafted birds predominate in the east and Red-shafted in the west; many northern birds migrate south in winter.

Flickers excavate cavities later used by other wildlife and consume ants and other invertebrates. The species is widespread and generally considered of low conservation concern; local habitat loss can affect populations.

Other woodpeckers, especially Gilded Flicker and related Colaptes, can have barred feathers; size, local range, shaft color, and the whole feather set help distinguish them.

Unlike many woodpeckers, flickers commonly forage on the ground, especially for ants. Their bright yellow or salmon-colored wing and tail shafts are conspicuous in flight.

Flickers have appeared in Indigenous stories and regional traditions. Wild-bird feathers may be legally protected; avoid collecting or selling them unless applicable permits and laws allow it.

Compare several feathers and note length, shaft color, and matching barred pattern; look near feeding or roosting sites. Photograph in natural light with a ruler, and follow local wildlife-feather regulations.

Appears mostly intact, with slight basal fraying or displacement; no obvious fault bars, staining, or severe wear. Condition: Good.