Northern Flicker

1/200s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark IV 1D w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates. It is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. Like many woodpeckers, its flight is undulating. The repeated cycle of a quick succession of flaps followed by a pause creates an effect comparable to a rollercoaster. Although they eat fruits, berries, seeds and nuts, their primary food are insects. Their breeding habitat consists of forested areas across North America and as far south as Central America. They are cavity nesters who typically nest in trees though they will also use posts and birdhouses if sized and situated appropriately. They prefer to excavate their own home, though they will reuse and repair damaged or abandoned nests. Abandoned flicker nests create habitat for other cavity nesters. Flickers are sometimes driven from nesting sites by another cavity nester, the European starlings. It takes about 1 to 2 weeks to build the nest, which is built by both sexes of the mating pairs. A typical clutch consists of 6 to 8 eggs. The young are fed by regurgitation and fledge about 25 to 28 days after hatching.
Medicine Creek, NE
 
06/05/2011