: The Colorful Woodpecker
Basic Description
The Northern Flicker, also known as the yellow-shafted flicker or Colaptes auratus, is a species of woodpecker found across North America. These birds have striking plumage with brown feathers on their back and wings, black spots on their underparts, and a white rump patch. The males have a red mustache stripe while the females have a tan one.
Where To Find This Bird
You can find Northern Flickers all over North America since it is native to the continent. They migrate through these areas during fall and spring seasons in search of food. During winter when temperatures are extremely cold they move further from arctic regions.
Habitat
Northern Flickers are typically found in open habitats such as fields, forests edges as well as suburban parks and gardens where there are trees with dead branches for nesting cavities like oak or hickory trees.
Food
Unlike other woodpeckers that depend mainly on insects for food, flickers consume large quantities of fruits especially berries and seeds alongside insects which make up 90% of its diet. They sometimes dig into ant hills to feed on ants which makes them different from other types of woodpeckers making them quite unique.
Cool Facts
One interesting fact about Northern Flickers is that they use abandoned nests created by burrowing animals like squirrels instead of building new ones themselves! Another fascinating aspect about this bird’s behavior is how it avoids collisions in flight; flickers tilt their heads downward by almost 45 degrees so that their eyes remain perpendicular to ground level allowing them to see obstacles ahead clearly.
In conclusion,
the colorful northern flicker stands out amongst most species because unlike most types of woodpeckers, it consumes fruits and seeds alongside insects to make up its diet. In addition they use abandoned burrows for nesting which is quite unique making them a curious bird to observe! So if you happen to spot one in the wild, be sure to take a moment and appreciate these amazing birds.
