Northern Flicker Woodpecker
Today I was able to capture some photos of a female Northern Flicker at our suet feeder. We know she’s a she because of the lack of a black mustache on either side of her beak. In our bird book the Northern Flicker is listed as an insect eater, specifically ants and beetles, and is commonly found eating on the ground (unlike most woodpeckers who prefer to stick to the sides of trees most often). But not this time of year, the Flicker is driven to the suet feeders. This particular one has visited us often this week.
Northern Flickers are found year-round across pretty much the entire United States. They are fairly large woodpeckers, 12” in size. At first glance you may think they are rather drab in color and pattern, but upon closer observation you’ll notice the bright red sash across the back of their neck, a thick black necklace on their chest, perfect little black polka dots, bars and crescents adorning their front and back, and bright yellow hiding beneath their tail feathers. It is important to note that there are variations to these colors and patterns depending on their location in the U.S.
You can visit the above link for more information on the Flicker or also I did a blog post previously about the first time we observed one of these interesting birds HERE.
Did not know there were color variations. Our Males have orange under their tale feathers, almost a reddish color. Very cool to learn! (We live in Colorado)
How neat! The Northern Flicker is one of the woodpeckers I “most want to see” out in the wild!
Thanks for sharing!