How to identify a Northern Flicker
Northern Flickers look different from the black-and-white woodpeckers many people expect.
The body is mostly brown or tan. The back is barred, the pale belly is covered with dark spots, and a bold black crescent crosses the upper breast. The bill is fairly long and slightly curved.
Then watch the bird fly. A white rump patch can flash like a signal at the base of the tail.
The underside of the wings and tail gives another clue. It is yellow in the Yellow-shafted form and salmon-red in the Red-shafted form.
Why is a Northern Flicker on the ground?
Ants.
Northern Flickers eat more ants than many people would expect from a woodpecker. They walk across lawns, fields, forest edges, and open ground, probing and digging for ant colonies.
Their long tongue can reach well beyond the bill and helps pull insects from tunnels and crevices.
A large brown woodpecker working a lawn is one of the strongest behaviour clues for this species.
What do Northern Flickers eat?
Ants and beetles make up a large part of the diet. Flickers also eat other insects, including flies, moths, and their larvae.
Fruit and seeds matter too, especially in colder months. Cornell lists foods such as dogwood, sumac, wild cherry, grape, elderberry, and various seeds.
They are not as dependable at suet feeders as Downy Woodpeckers, but some flickers do visit backyard feeding stations.
Yellow-shafted vs Red-shafted Northern Flicker
They are two regional forms of the same species.
Yellow-shafted birds dominate in eastern and much of central North America. Red-shafted birds are widespread in the West. The most obvious difference is the colour beneath the wings and tail.
The head markings differ too. Male Yellow-shafted birds usually have a black moustache stripe and a red crescent on the nape. Male Red-shafted birds usually have a red moustache stripe and no red nape crescent.
Where the forms meet, hybrids and intermediate-looking birds occur. Our Yellow-shafted vs Red-shafted Flicker guide goes through the details.
What does a Northern Flicker sound like?
The long call is loud, rolling, and easy to hear from a distance. It can last several seconds and may remind you of a Pileated Woodpecker.
Flickers also give a sharp single note often written as kyeer. During displays, they can make rhythmic wick-a, wick-a calls.
Like other woodpeckers, both sexes drum. Metal roofs, vents, signs, gutters, and other resonant surfaces can make that drumming especially loud.
Where do Northern Flickers live?
Northern Flickers are widespread across much of Canada and the United States.
Look for them in open woodland, forest edges, parks, suburban neighbourhoods, fields with scattered trees, and other places where they can find both feeding ground and nesting cavities.
Some northern birds migrate south for winter. Birds in milder regions may remain year-round.
How do Northern Flickers nest?
They are cavity nesters, usually using a hole in a dead or partly dead tree or branch.
The pair may excavate a cavity themselves. Unlike many songbirds, they do not build a soft cup nest inside. The eggs rest on wood chips at the bottom of the cavity.
A typical clutch has five to eight white eggs. Incubation takes around 11 to 13 days, and the nestlings stay in the cavity for about 24 to 27 days.
Do Northern Flickers use nest boxes?
They can.
A properly sized box in suitable habitat may attract a pair, especially where natural cavities are limited. It needs to be installed before the breeding season and protected as well as possible from predators.
Northern Flicker vs Pileated Woodpecker
Both are large and loud, but they look very different.
A Northern Flicker is brown with a spotted belly, black breast crescent, and white rump. A Pileated Woodpecker is much larger, mostly black, and has a long red crest with bold white face and neck stripes.
Behaviour is another giveaway. Flickers often feed on the ground. Pileated Woodpeckers spend much more time excavating large trees, logs, and stumps.
See the full Northern Flicker vs Pileated Woodpecker comparison.
How long do Northern Flickers live?
Many young birds do not survive their first year, but some flickers live much longer.
Cornell reports a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker that reached at least 9 years and 2 months, and a Red-shafted bird that lived at least 8 years and 9 months.
Frequently asked questions
Why do flickers have a white rump?
The white rump is simply part of the species' plumage, but for birders it is one of the quickest field marks. It often becomes most obvious when the bird takes off.
Do Northern Flickers peck trees?
Yes. They excavate nest cavities, drum on wood or metal, and forage on trees. They simply spend more time feeding on the ground than many other familiar woodpeckers.
Are Northern Flickers migratory?
Partly. Birds breeding in colder northern areas often move south, while many farther south remain in place.
Can Northern Flickers damage a house?
They may drum on siding, vents, chimneys, gutters, or other resonant surfaces, especially during territorial season. Drumming is communication, not necessarily an attempt to dig for insects.
More familiar birds
Continue with Downy Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, or browse all Common Birds. For the broader family, see How to Identify Common Backyard Woodpeckers.