Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted or Red-shafted)

The Northern Flicker is a large, distinctive woodpecker with a brownish body barred with black, a white rump visible in flight, and a colorful crescent on the chest. Unlike many woodpeckers, they frequently feed on the ground primarily on ants and beetles.

Dark brownish-black background with distinct white spotting or barring along the margins, and a pale brownish or yellowish rachis base.

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbicels for durability, featuring stiffened shafts and barbs.

Stiff, durable, and matte texture with rigid vanes adapted for weight-bearing and propping.

Stiff pointed rectrix with dark coloration and prominent white spots or barring along the edges.

Open woodlands, forest edges, suburban yards, parks, and areas with scattered trees and dead snags for nesting.

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

Act as a keystone species by excavating tree cavities used by many other secondary cavity-nesters, and help control ant populations.

Other woodpecker species such as the Red-bellied Woodpecker or Hairy Woodpecker, though tail patterns and shaft coloration help distinguish the Northern Flicker.

Northern Flickers have extremely long tongues that can extend nearly two inches past the tip of their bill to snap up ants and larvae.

Good condition with intact barbs and minimal fraying at the tip.