Northern Flickers: The Ground-Loving Woodpeckers Your Yard Needs

Surprise! That woodpecker on the ground is likely a northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) — the woodpecker that spends most of its time foraging on lawns and open ground. As it flies, a bright white rump patch and flash of color under the wings (deep red in the West, vibrant yellow in the East/North) confirm the ID.

Quick Facts

• Order: Piciformes
• Latin name: Colaptes auratus
• Range: Year-round across U.S.; Canada in summer, migrating south in winter
• Two forms: Yellow-shafted (North/East) and red-shafted (West); intergrades in Great Plains show mixed traits
• Habitat: Open woodlands, forest edges, fields with trees, burned forests, suburbs, parks, roadsides. Ground-foraging habit makes them adaptable generalists.
• Status: Declining per USGS breeding surveys — they need our help.

Identification

Medium-large (~12 inches), heavy slightly down-curved bill. Copper-brown barred back, brown-spotted white underparts, black crescent bib. Yellow-shafted: yellow underwings/tail, gray crown, tan face, red nape crescent. Red-shafted: red underwings/tail, brown crown, gray face. Both have large white rump patch. Males have a distinct malar stripe (mustache): black (yellow-shafted) or red (red-shafted). Females have a faint sooty/tan stripe.

Attracting Flickers

Food & Plants

They eat native berries, seeds, and especially ants/beetles/invertebrates. Create diverse plant heights with native species: low groundcovers (wild strawberry, clover, native grasses) → small shrubs (dogwood, elderberry, native blueberry) → fruit-bearing trees for winter. Leave fallen limbs to decompose for a "bug buffet."

Pesticide-Free Zone

Critical! Flickers rely heavily on ants/ant larvae, often foraging on lawns. Pesticides and synthetic fertilizers destroy their food source and deter them.

Nesting Habitat

Cavity nesters in dead trees/large branches (often reuse old cavities). Prefer trees with heart rot (quaking aspen, etc.). Male excavates; 5–8 eggs in mid-May; chicks fledge ~1 month later. Install a nest box (Cornell Lab has plans) in the right habitat to invite a family.

Fascinating Behaviors

• Drumming: 25 strikes/second on resonant objects (hollow trees, tin roofs) — territorial, mate attraction, nest communication.
• "Wicka dance": Same-sex rivals face off, bob heads, trace figure-8s with bills, accompanied by soft "wicka" calls — courtship/territorial ritual.

Close Cousin: Gilded Flicker

In Sonoran Desert saguaro forests, the gilded flicker (C. chrysoides) blends traits of both forms (gray face, red malar, yellow underwings). Larger black bib, finer back barring, cinnamon crown. Nests in saguaro cavities. Separate species since 1995.

YardMap (Cornell Lab) connects thousands documenting backyard bird habitat.