Red-Shafted Flicker: Backyard family birding activity at it's best

I love this time of year, when I can put out the heavy duty feed and the suet blocks. I’ve had several Flickers around all year long, but when the damn Starlings will leave the suet alone, the Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) will get in there to lunch up. The Starlings will actually chase the Flickers away.

I buy the suet blocks in Target or any of the pet stores that carry wildbird supplies. You put them into the wire cages, which I hook to other feeders or bird houses.  I buy a variety of the suet blocks - some with just seed, some with seeds and nuts, some with bugs. I’ll also get Downey Woodpeckers on these blocks.

This specimen appears to either be a male Red Shafted Flicker - a member of the woodpecker family - because there isn’t a red crescent on the back/nape of the neck. Also the underneath of the tail feathers are the tell-tale salmon red. The female lacks the red ‘moustache’.

You can make your own homestyle suet to feed these clinging birds, and it can be a fun family activity - and it’s great to get the kids involved with nature, right? The next logical step is to get the kids involved with photographing and journaling what birds they see and correctly identify. I keep an Audubon bird ID book right in the windowsill. This can take the whole family right through an otherwise boring winter - if you aren’t skiing - and work as a sort of competition.

Click here to see some great homemade suet recipes and ideas for putting it out in the backyard.

Field Marks

In flight, note the conspicuous white rump. This and the barred brown back mark the bird as a flicker. Close up, it shows a black patch across the chest. Flight deeply undulating. Often hops awkwardly on the ground, feeding on ants. Two basic types are recognized: (1) “Yellow-shafted” Flicker: The northern and eastern form. Overhead, it flashes golden yellow under the wings and tail. Red crescent on nape; the male has a black mustache. (2) “Red-shafted” Flicker: The widespread western form. Similar to “Yellow-shafted,” but wing and tail linings are salmon red. Both sexes lack red crescent on nape; male has a red mustache. Where ranges overlap (western edge of Plains) hybrids occur; these may have orange linings or a combination of characters.

Voice

A loud wick wick wick wick wick, etc. Also a loud klee-yer and a squeaky flick-a, flick-a, etc. 

Range

Tree limit in Alaska, Canada, south to Nicaragua.

Migration

“Yellow-shafted” Flickers from Alaska and Canada are strongly migratory, traveling east and south. Big flights move down Atlantic Coast in fall. “Red-shafted” Flickers migrate shorter distances; some spread eastward onto plains in winter. Gilded Flickers are permanent residents.

Habitat

Open forests, woodlots, groves, towns, semi-open country. Also saguaros, deserts (Gilded Flicker). With its wide range, from Alaska to Nicaragua, the flicker can be found in almost any habitat with trees (or, in the Southwest, giant cactus). Tends to avoid dense unbroken forest, requiring some open ground for foraging. May be in very open country with few trees.

Feeding

Diet: Mostly ants and other insects. Probably eats ants more frequently than any other North American bird. Also feeds on beetles, termites, caterpillars, and other insects. Eats many fruits and berries, especially in fall and winter, and eats seeds and nuts at times.

Behavior: Forages by hopping on ground, climbing tree trunks and limbs, occasionally flying out to catch insects in the air. Also will perch in outer branches to eat fruits and berries.