Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, unique woodpecker known for spending much of its time on the ground foraging for ants. It features a brownish body barred with black, a white rump patch visible in flight, and a distinctive black crescent on the chest.

Dark brownish-gray background with prominent, well-defined white to buff rounded spots and bars along the outer and inner webs, characteristic of flicker wing feathers.

Pennaceous vane along the upper portion with tightly interlocked barbicels, transitioning to a plumulaceous (fluffy) structure near the base.

Smooth and relatively stiff along the vane with a matte finish, becoming soft and downy near the base of the calamus.

Dark grey-brown background contrasted with striking, rounded white spots and transverse barring, coupled with a pale shaft.

Open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, yards, and parks with an abundance of standing dead trees for nesting and foraging.

Widespread across North America from Alaska down to Central America, migrating seasonally in northern parts of its range.

A primary cavity nester that creates holes used subsequently by numerous secondary cavity-nesting birds and mammals, while heavily regulating ant populations.

Other woodpecker species such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker or Downy Woodpecker, though their flight feathers typically lack the distinct, bold rounded spotting pattern found on flickers.

Unlike most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers rarely hammer on wood to excavate for insects; instead, they use their slightly curved bills to probe the ground for ants and beetles.

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal wear, suggesting it was freshly molted rather than broken or heavily weathered.

Northern Wisconsin