See Many Additional Woodpecker Photos in the
Gallery
The northern flicker is named for one of his calls, a repetitive
"flick-a, flick-a". Another theory proposed is
flicker may be referring to the flash and flutter the white wing spots
make as the bird flies fast from tree to tree.
"Colaptes" is Greek and
means chiseler (chiseling and pecking wood to find insects, to excavate
nests and to communicate). "Auratus" is Latin for golden (yellow
color of underwings). The older bird books may have used the names
yellow flicker, yellow-shafted flicker, or common flicker. Alabama
picked the "yellowhammer" for their state bird. Ornithologists have
changed this bird's name numerous times from yellow-shafted, to common,
back to yellow-shafted and currently to northern flicker.
Over one hundred other local names have been noted for this bird
which is non-migratory over much of continental US and parts of Mexico.
The northern flicker can also be found in Canada and Alaska in the
summer. Birds can be named for numerous reasons:
location, description, traits in common, first person to take notice, and as an imitation of the
birds' song or call. Most of the old, odd names for the northern
flicker fall in the latter category- wake-up, wick-up, yarrup.
The northern flicker differs from other woodpeckers in areas even
beyond not having "woodpecker" in his name- the flicker migrates, forages on the
ground, eats more vegetation, more likely to use nest boxes, and
excavates in decaying or dying wood (as opposed to live trees) due to beak differences and no
feathered nostrils .
Our first sighting of the northern flicker was on our side maple
tree. He was calling and drumming happily on April 15. Peanut suet
and ant hills were also a draw for him that day. We saw him return
on April 29 and finally on June 2, 2008 where on those days he searched
the backyard lawn for bug yummies.
We took some beautiful photos when the northern flicker returned on
October 2nd. He ate peanut suet, and insects in our trees and on
our lawn.
|
Size:
|
Length: 12.5-14 in
Weight: 4.6 oz
Wingspan: 20 in
|
|
ID:
|
Male: Light brown head with gray cap and red crescent on back
of cap; black mustache; buffy white underparts with numerous,
heavy black spots and chevrons; grayish brown back, wings and
tail with many black bars and dashes; underside of wings and
tail show
yellow (Eastern- yellow shafted-but Western- red shafted shows
pale red); black, crescent bib; white rump seen only in flight;
gray beak long and pointed; gray feet zygodactylous (feet with
two toes forward and two facing back)
Female: Same as male without the mustache
Juvenile: Same as adult of the same
sex
|
|
Habitat:
|
Open woodlands, farms, residential areas with mature
deciduous trees
|
|
Diet:
|
Forages ground for insects (especially ants); captures flying
insects (unusual in a woodpecker); fruit and berries (mostly in
winter); will eat
suet
|
|
Family Behavior:
|
Mating Habits: Monogamous; solitary nester; drum on trees to
establish breeding territory; 1 brood per year; lost clutches
replaced (indeterminate egg layer)
Local Breeding Period: Late April
Nests: Males select site in tree trunks, posts, poles or nesting
boxes; most of excavation done by male; may reuse nest again;
wood chips used
Eggs: 5-8 plain, glossy white eggs; laid daily; incubation
11-14 days by female during the day and male at night
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and
stay in nest 25-28 days; both parents feed by regurgitation
|
|
Social Activities:
|
Only woodpecker to regularly feed on the ground instead of
trees
|
|
Range:
|
From tree line in Canada and Alaska, across US to gulf
states, Mexico and Cuba; migrates from northern areas
|
|
Vocalization:
|
Loud, repetitious, squeaky wik, wik, wik, etc. followed by
drumming on a tree trunk in
breeding season; call is loud klee-yer
|
|
Lifespan: |
9 years |
