Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) | Photos, Calls and ID

NENot EvaluatedInvertebrates

ShrublandCavity nestMedium · 131 g

What the Northern Flicker sounds like

Sonogram of the Northern Flicker: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call · Blue Bell Campground, Custer State Park, South Dakota, United States · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Leonardo Guzman Hernandez · Call · Arteaga, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call, drumming · Four Mile Draw Rd, Custer State Park, South Dakota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

Adults are brown with black bars on the back and wings. A mid- to large-sized northern flicker measures 28–36 cm (11–14 in) in length and 42–54 cm (16+1⁄2–21+1⁄2 in) in wingspan. The body mass can vary from 86 to 167 g (3 to 5+7⁄8 oz). Among standard scientific measurements, the wing bone measures 12.2–17.1 cm (4+13⁄16–6+3⁄4 in), the tail measures 7.5–11.5 cm (3–4+1⁄2 in), the bill measures 2.2–4.3 cm (7⁄8–1+11⁄16 in) and the tarsus measures 2.2–3.1 cm (7⁄8–1+1⁄4 in).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Northern Flicker

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Northern Flicker

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 8 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Mexico Cayman Islands Cuba St. Pierre & Miquelon Guatemala Bermuda

Recorded as a rare visitor in Portugal.

About the Northern Flicker

The northern flicker or common flicker is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer, clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names derive from attempts to imitate some of its calls.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Golden-olive WoodpeckerColaptes rubiginosusThe golden-olive woodpecker is 18 to 23 cm (7.1 to 9.1 in) long.

Green-barred WoodpeckerColaptes melanochlorosThe green-barred woodpecker is 27 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) long and weighs 80 to 178 g (2.8 to 6.3 oz).

Campo FlickerColaptes campestrisThe campo flicker is about 30 cm (12 in) long and weighs about 150 g (5.3 oz).

Side by side: Golden-olive Woodpecker vs Northern Flicker · Green-barred Woodpecker vs Northern Flicker · Campo Flicker vs Northern Flicker

Learn the Northern Flicker in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.