Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Unlike most woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker often forages on the ground, using its long, sticky, barbed tongue to lap up thousands of ants.
- Scientific name
- Colaptes auratus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Piciformes › Picidae › Colaptes
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open woodlands, forest edges, suburban parks, and groves.
- Diet
- Primarily ants and beetles; also consumes berries, seeds, and nuts in winter.
- Range
- North America, Central America, Cuba, Cayman Islands
- Size
- Length: 28-31 cm; Wingspan: 42-51 cm.
- Lifespan
- Up to 9 years in the wild.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss, pesticide use reducing insect prey, and competition for nesting cavities with invasive European Starlings.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a respectful distance of 15-20 feet to observe their unique ground-foraging behavior. If found injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
The northern flicker ( Colaptes auratus ) is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer (not to be confused with the Eurasian yellowhammer), clape , gaffer woodpecker , harry-wicket , heigh-ho , wake-up , walk-up , wick-up , yarrup , and gawker bird . Many of these names...
Photo: Jon Robson, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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