Facts About Woodpeckers ( Northern Flickers)

Woodpecker / Northern Flicker Facts

Of the 11 species of woodpeckers (including sapsuckers) that live in Washington, the Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus,) is probably the most commonly seen and heard. Previously known as the red-shafted flicker, the Northern flicker has a conspicuous white rump patch and salmon-colored wing undersides that are distinctly visible during its slow, bouncy flight. Flickers can also be identified by their loud call that sounds like wake-up, wake-up, wake-up; also a piercing, sharply descending peahr.

Any annoyance these woodpeckers may cause for homeowners is greatly outweighed by the large number of insect pests they eat, and the number of homes they create for other wildlife.

Facts about Woodpeckers (Northern Flickers)

Food and Feeding Habits

Northern flickers commonly feed on the ground, searching for ants and beetle larvae
While flickers eat tree-dwelling and wood-boring insects, they also will eat berries, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
When searching for insects, flickers tap on wooden surfaces and look and listen for insect movements. If they see or hear an insect, they will continue chiseling until the insects are caught. Hollow sounds also may indicate that insects are present, thus encouraging flickers to continue chiseling away.
Flickers are attracted to suet feeders, especially in winter.

Nest Sites and Shelter

Northern flickers excavate nest sites in dead or dying trees, aging utility poles, fence posts, and house siding. They will also use specially designed nest boxes.
The birds use their stout beaks to chisel down 6-18 inches, making a wide bottom for the egg chamber.
Nest holes may be started but never completed, possibly due to poor location or quality of the wood. Occasionally flickers will re-use a nest hole after doing some minor work to it.
Both male and female flickers excavate the nest, the male doing substantially more than the female. Complete excavation may take only a few days in soft wood, but averages 14 days.
Eggs are laid on wood chips created during excavation of the nest.

Reproduction

The breeding season for Northern flickers is from March to June, with young leaving the nest as late as mid-July.
Both male and female flickers incubate the 5 to 8 eggs for about 11 days, then brood the newly hatched young for about 4 days.
Both sexes feed the young, which leave the nest after 24 to 27 days.
The parents continue to feed the young once they fledge, and soon the young begin to follow the adults to foraging sites and gather their own food.
Individual flickers return to the same area to breed year after year.

This information was provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist

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