Northern
Flicker, Colaptes auratus
  Diet
of the Northern Flicker
The Northern flicker uses its incredibly long
tongue to grab ants. Ants represent a large portion of their
diet. They also eat other insect as well as seeds, nuts, and
small fruits. We had a northern flicker that lived around our
place at the nursery. She would sit on the window ledges and eat
the ants that were trying to infect the house. Woodpeckers can be
quite helpful in reducing insect pest populations.
Range
of the Northern Flicker
The Northern flicker is found throughout the
continental United States. In winter they move out of the high
Sierras to lower elevations and into the desert areas vacated
during the summer. In the spring and summer the Northern flicker
moves up into Canada and even into Alaska.
Niche Filled by the Northern Flicker
 The
Northern Flicker uses its incredibly long tongue to snap up ants.
It excavates very large nest cavities that in latter seasons are
used by larger cavity nesting birds.
How to attract the Northern flicker to your
Garden
The Northern Flicker especially likes wooded
areas. At the nursery they can be seen feeding on Oaks,
Quercus
agrifolia, Q.
lobata, and Q.
douglasii. They also like conifers of all kinds.
Woodpeckers require dead snags as well as dead
branches. If you want to attract woodpeckers to your garden do
not remove this dead wood.
 Habitat/plant
communities used by Northern Flicker
Closed
Cone Pine Forest
Lodgepole
Pine Forest
Central
Oak Woodland
Yellow
Pine Forest
Northern
Oak Woodland
Southern
Oak Woodland
Mixed
Evergreen Forest
Riparian
Red
Fir forest
Migratory status of the Northern Flicker
Some Northern flickers move into desert areas
in winter.
 Reproduction
of the Northern Flicker
The Northern flicker excavates its on nest
cavity. In later years these cavities are used by larger
secondary cavity nesters like the American Kestrel.
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