Northern Flicker

Bird Graphic

Northern Flicker -
(Colaptes auratus)

Audio

Identification

Medium-sized woodpecker
Brown back with black marks,
tan with spots below
Grey top of head with red mark at the back
Black mark across upper chest
White rump conspicuous in flight
Yellow wing linings visible in flight
12" (30 cm.)

Habitat

A variety of forest habitat, open woods,
and residential areas

Additional Information

Common migrant and summer resident
Sometimes found in winter
Spends time on the ground eating
ants and ground beetles
Prefers edge of forest and open
woods for nesting
Although common, population is declining

Comparable Species

Male Flicker on tree trunk near hole

Female Flicker at a nest box

The Kickapoo Reserve Management Board acknowledges that the state and federal lands that comprise the Reserve fall within the ancestral homelands of First Nations people including the Hooçak Nation. We recognize the sovereignty of the Hooçak and other First Nations and will work towards a shared future by continuing to create collaborative opportunities to protect and preserve these lands.

Kickapoo Valley Reserve | S3661 State Highway 131 | La Farge, Wisconsin 54639
Phone: 608-625-2960 | FAX: 608-625-2962
kickapoo.reserve@krm.state.wi.us