Critter of the Week: Northern flicker
Species: Northern flicker
Scientific name: Colaptes auratus
Nicknames: Yellowhammer (yellow-shafted variety)
Claim to fame: In birding circles, the northern flicker has a unique claim to fame: It’s the only woodpecker that does most of its feeding on the ground when ants and other insects are available. Northern flickers can be seen in Missouri throughout the year, but migration does occur (see “Life cycle” section). The northern flicker is the state bird of Alabama.
Species status: Northern flickers are common throughout much of North America, but they are thought to be declining in parts of their range.
First discovered: The first scientific description of the northern flicker was written by the renowned naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The northern flicker became the state bird of Alabama because it resembled the gray-with-yellow-trim uniforms worn by Alabama soldiers in the Civil War. One of the regional nicknames for the bird was the yellowhammer. This connection between the northern flicker and the Alabama uniform of the Confederacy led to Alabama getting the nickname of the “Yellowhammer State” and residents of Alabama being called “Yellowhammers.”
Family matters: The northern flicker belongs to the bird family Picidae, a group of species commonly referred to as the woodpeckers. Most members of this family are chisel-billed, wood-boring birds with zygodactyl feet — two toes facing forward, two toes pointing backward.
Length: 12 inches to 14 inches in length, wingspan of 12 inches to 16 inches
Diet: Northern flickers are useful destroyers of several types of insect pests. Their chief food item is ants. They also consume grasshoppers, crickets, termites, aphids, beetles and their larvae. In warm weather, northern flickers can often be found on the ground digging in the dirt in search of ants. When they’re found, flickers will use their long, barbed tongues to lap them up. In winter, when insects can’t be found on the ground, flickers follow more conventional woodpecker feeding methods by using their beaks to dig out insects and larvae in trees. Flickers also feed on berries and seeds of a variety of plants.
Weight: Adults weigh a little less than six ounces.
Distinguishing characteristics: All northern flickers have grayish-brown backs that are overlaid with dark brown barring and spots. The underbelly is off-white or buff-brown with numerous small dark spots. In flight, a conspicuous white rump patch is usually displayed. Northern flickers come in two color varieties: The yellow-shafted flicker — the variety found in Missouri — is yellow on its undersides of its wings and tail feathers. Both genders have a red crescent on the nape of the neck. Males have a black “mustache” mark and females have no such mark. Red-shafted flickers — which are found in Western states — are bright salmon-red on the undersides of its wings and tail feathers. In red-shafted flickers, males have a red mustache mark. In spite of the color variations, studies have shown these two types of flicker are members of the same species. Inter-breeding between the two variations occurs frequently.
Life span: The longest recorded life span is nine years, but most northern flickers probably have a shorter life span than this.
Habitat: Northern flickers are found in wooded areas that have stands of dead trees. They can also be found in open areas, forest edges, burnt areas, agricultural areas and residential sites.
Life cycle: The breeding season usually occurs from early spring to mid-summer. Nest cavities are excavated in the trunks of dead or dying trees. Females lay between three and 12 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for 11 to 16 days. Offspring are ready to fly in three weeks to a month after hatching. Both parents take part in the care and feeding of the young. Northern flickers migrate south, but, as stated above, the bird can be seen here throughout the year. This has caused some biologists to theorize that flickers seen here in the winter are birds that have migrated here from northern regions.