Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Summary 2
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. In California we have the "Red-shafted" Flicker (the "yellow-shafted" form occurs east of the Rockies). These woodpeckers have a brown crown and gray face, the male has a red stripe, In flight, you will see red flashes under the wings and a white rump.
You can hear examples of their calls here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_flicker/sounds
Where found on Foothill Campus? 3
Northern Flickers are found in areas with tall trees around campus, such as near the administration building and along Perimeter Road.
Habitat 3
Northern Flickers are found in a wide variety of habitats including woodlands, forest edges, and open fields with scattered trees, as well as city parks and suburbs.
Life History 3
Nesting Northern Flickers typically nest in cavities in dead trees or wooden posts (they may rarely nest in a ground burrow). The cavity is excavated by both sexes. The Pairs are monogamous
Feeding Flickers are often seen foraging on the ground as their preferred food is ants, but other insects and fruits and seeds are also eaten.
Source: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/lifehistory
Distribution 3
The range of this species includes most of Canada south to north-central Nicaragua. In California, we have the Red-shafted form.
Migration 3
Resident
Sources and Credits
- (c) 2000 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=24692&one=T
- Adapted by gillian360 from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colaptes_auratus
- (c) gillian360, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
