Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian | Златист шилоклюн кълвач |
| Czech | datel zlatý |
| Danish | Guldspætte |
| Dutch | Gouden Grondspecht |
| English | Northern Flicker |
| English (United States) | Northern Flicker |
| French | Pic flamboyant |
| French (France) | Pic flamboyant |
| German | Goldspecht |
| Greek | Χρυσός Δρυοκολάπτης |
| Hebrew | נקר צפון-אמריקני |
| Hungarian | Északi hangyászküllő |
| Icelandic | Gullklambra |
| Japanese | ハシボソキツツキ |
| Lithuanian | Paprastasis ylasnapis genys |
| Norwegian | gullspett |
| Polish | dzięcioł różowoszyi |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Pica-pau-mosqueado |
| Romanian | Ghionoaie aurie |
| Russian | Шилоклювый дятел |
| Serbian | Američka zlatokrila žuna |
| Slovak | vlikáč zlatý |
| Slovenian | Grahasta žolna |
| Spanish | Carpintero Escapulario |
| Spanish (Cuba) | Carpintero escapulario |
| Spanish (Honduras) | Carpintero de Ocotal |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Carpintero de Pechera Común |
| Spanish (Spain) | Carpintero escapulario |
| Swedish | guldspett |
| Turkish | Altın Ağaçkakan |
| Ukrainian | Декол золотистий |
Revision Notes
Karen L. Wiebe revised the account. Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structure page. Peter F. D. Boesman contributed to the Sounds and Vocal Behaviors page. Arnau Bonan Barfull curated the media. JoAnn Hackos, Robin K. Murie, and Daphne R. Walmer copyedited the account. Eliza Wein revised the distribution map.
Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Definitions
- COLAPTES
- auratum / auratus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Scientific name definitions
Version: 2.0 — Published July 7, 2023
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Photos from this Account
Male (Yellow-shafted)
Large woodpecker with a black bib and spotted belly. Males in the East have a red nape, a black whisker, and yellow shafts on the flight and tail feathers.
Male (Red-shafted)
Males in the West have a red whisker while those in the East have a black whisker. The upperparts are mostly brownish-gray with black barring. White rump sometimes visible while perched.
Female (Yellow-shafted)
Females have a peachy-brown face, a gray crown and nape, and a red spot on the nape. Buffy underparts densely spotted with black.
Female (Red-shafted)
Female (Yellow-shafted)
In flight note the white rump patch. Birds in the East flash yellow shafts on the flight feathers and tail.
Male (Red-shafted)
In flight, its white rump contrasts with the rest of the plumage. Individuals in the West have red shafts to the flight feathers and tail that are usually obvious in flight.
Male (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted intergrade)
Intergrade individuals usually have a mixture of the plumage markings of Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted birds and an orange color in the flight feathers.
Male (Yellow-shafted)
Shows a bold white rump in flight.
Male (Guatemalan)
Residents in Guatemala have a brown crown and whisker stripe. Red undertail is visible from some angles.
Female (Guatemalan)
Residents in Guatemala have a brown crown and whisker stripe. Red undertail is visible from some angles.
Male (Red-shafted)
The red underside of the tail can be obvious from certain angles on perched birds. Note the red whisker on males in the West.
Male (Yellow-shafted)
Regularly forages on the ground.
Female (Red-shafted)
Found in a wide variety of both open and wooded habitats.
Female Northern Flicker (subspecies luteus).
Possible confusion species: Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides).
Male Gilded Flicker (subspecies mearnsi) is smaller and has rustier crown, narrower dorsal barring, paler dorsum, rounder breast patch.
Possible confusion species: Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides).
Female Gilded Flicker (subspecies mearnsi) showing its rustier crown and narrower dorsal barring.
Possible confusion species: Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides).
Gilded Flicker (subspecies mearnsi) has remiges and rectrices yellow.
Hatchling Northern Flickers (Red-shafted subspecies cafer).
Hatchlings lack natal down.
Juvenile male Northern Flickers (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
Juvenile Plumage is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage except except colors duller and plumage softer and looser; crown variably suffused with red (especially in males); red nuchal patch somewhat broader. The malar (moustachial) stripe can be present in both sexes, but is sootier, less black and can be less distinct to lacking in female. The relatively strong red wash to the crown and distinct black malar stripes indicate these to be juvenile males.
Juvenile female Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies cafer).
Note the softer and browner head feathering than is found in later plumages. Juveniles of red-shafted subspecies average less red in the crown than those of yellow-shafted subspecies; the lack of a red in the crown and complete lack of a red malar indicate this to be a juvenile female.
Juvenile male Northern Flicker, commencing Preformative Molt (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
Replacement of juvenile primaries begins in the nest before fledging. Here it has reached p6 but much of the body feathering is juvenile. Note the uniform juvenile primary coverts (not being replaced with primaries) and the relatively large juvenile p10, which is smaller and more tapered in formative and basic feathers. The unmolted rectrices are also duller and less-distinctly patterned than subsequent rectrices. Juveniles of both sexes can have black malars but those of males are more distinct.
Formative male Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted subspecies auratus or luteus).
Formative Plumage is similar to Definitive Basic Plumage except juvenile primary coverts are retained, uniform in wear, with paler shaft colors, and becoming worn and brown by winter or spring. Replaced inner upperwing coverts deeper buff or brown with distinct black bars, contrasting with retained juvenile outer greater coverts (five coverts here) with paler (more faded) and broader more triangular brown and grayish dark bars. Secondaries are uniformly juvenile, even in wear. In this plumage, males have black malar stripes and females lack them.
Formative male Northern Flicker, completing Preformative Molt (Red-shafted subspecies cafer).
Note the uniformly juvenile primary coverts and retained juvenile outer greater coverts, contrasting with 2-3 replaced inner greater coverts. The longer and more rounded juvenile p10 has yet to be replaced. The red malar stripe indicates a male and note that males of the Red-shafted group tend to lack red at the hind nape.
Formative male Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted subspecies auratus or luteus).
Note the five retained juvenile outer greater coverts, with paler (more faded) and broader more triangular brown and grayish dark bars, contrasting with the replaced formative coverts with more distinct black bars. The primary coverts and secondaries are uniformly juvenile and relatively worn, particularly the tertials. Sexes are similar in wing-feather patterns but this individual was a male (see eBird Checklist S61334126).
Second Basic female Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies cafer), completing Second Prebasic Molt.
Visible primary coverts are juvenile except for the outer two feathers and inner visible feather which are second basic and contrastingly newer and darker. All secondaries have been replaced except s2-s3, s3 being the last feather replaced in sequences among woodpeckers. The s4 is growing. Note also the uniformly basic upperwing coverts, without retained juvenile feathers. The gray face and lack of a red malar are typical of female Red-shafted Flickers.
Third Basic male Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
Here it appears that the fifth primary coverts from the outside (corresponding to p6) is juvenile, the two coverts distal to this one are new (third basic) and the outer two coverts are a year old (second basic), a pattern that indicated Third Basic Plumage. The secondaries appear to be uniformly replaced, basic.
Northern Flicker possibly undergoing Third Prebasic Molt
Here the three worn coverts corresponding to p4-p6 appear to be juvenile and the outermost covert (corresponding to p10) is in pin. This suggests that the coverts corresponding to p7-p9 are second basic (that corresponding with p7 may be newly replaced third basic) and that this is the Third Prebasic Molt. Third Basic Plumage in woodpeckers is identified by 1-3 juvenile primary coverts remaining and contrasting with two generations of basic coverts.
Definitive Basic male Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
The black malar stripe indicates a male and the red nuchal patch is found in both sexes of the Yellow-shafted group but not the Red-shafted subspecies groups. In Northern Flickers of all subspecies and both sexes, Definitive Basic Plumage is separated from earlier plumages by having uniformly basic and/or mixed generations of basic feathers among secondary (1–4 feathers among s1–s8) and primary coverts. When mixed, older feathers do not contrast as severely with replaced feathers as in Second and Third Basic Basic Plumages, the feathers usually do not occur in blocks, and they often occur asymmetrically between wings In this individuals the secondaries appear to be uniformly basic and the primary coverts show two generations of basic coverts, the older basic feathers (in the middle of each tract) not contrasting severely with the newer basic feathers. Note also the uniformly basic upperwing coverts.
Definitive Basic female Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies collaris).
Note two or more generations of primary coverts and secondaries not in patterns reflecting earlier basic plumages. Contrasts between the generations are subtle, espcially among secondaries, where s3-s5 appear slightly newer than s1-s2 and s6-s7. The lack of a red malar indicates a female.
Norther Flicker, likely of a Yellow-shafted subspecies (luteus) with anomalous reddish feathers.
In Yellow-shafted flicker, anomalous red feathers can result from rhodoxanthin, ingested from berries of nonnative bush honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.), which interferes with the production of the normal yellow pigmentation lutein. Incorporation of rhodoxanthin coincided with molt of the primaries in this individual, beginning with replacement of p5, reaching maximum expression at p7, and continuing through p8. The same individual is shown to the right.
Norther Flicker, likely of a Yellow-shafted subspecies (luteus) with anomalous reddish feathers.
The same individual as shown in the first image. Woodpeckers replace rectrices in sequence r2 to r5 (and r6 which is minute) followed by r1, in order to replace the important central feathers when the rest of the rectrices are new. Here, the same Incorporation of rhodoxanthin affecting the primaries also affected r2-r5, with maximum expression at r4, feathers replaced at the same time as correspondingly affected primaries. By the time the central rectrices were replaced, the incorporation of rhodoxanthin had subsided.
Northern Flicker, of a Red-shafted subspecies (cafer) with anomalous yellowish feathers.
Female Northern Flicker undergoing Preformative Molt (Red-shafted subspecies cafer).
Woodpeckers are unique in having the Prefromative Molt include the primaries and rectrices but not the primary coverts or most/all of the secondaries. Here, primary replacement is at peak molt (p5 growing) but note that corresponding juvenile primary coverts are not being replaced, nor are any of the juvenile secondaries. Rectrices among r2-r3 appear also to be molting. Secondary coverts are being replaced but most of the greater coverts, all but the inner two, are still juvenile.
Female Northern Flicker undergoing Prebasic Molt of rectrices (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
The five large rectrices invariably molt in order r2–r3–r4–r5–r1, a sequence that enables the central rectrices, critical for stability on vertical tree trunks, to be replaced when other rectrices are fresher and stronger. Here r3-r4 are new, r5 is growing, and r1 are worn and yet to be replaced. Although rectrices are replaced during the Preformative Molt, their very worn condition here suggests a bird of at least a year of age undergoing a prebasic Molt.
Male Northern Flicker undergoing Definitive Prebasic Molt (Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
Replacement of secondaries commences with the middle tertial (s9) and the outermost feather (s1). Here, s9 is new, s10 and s8 are growing, and one or more inner secondaries among s1-s3 are new. The variation in wear among the unmolted secondaries indicates this to be the Definitive rather than the Second or Third Prebasic Molts. Note also that primary molt has reached about p7 and that rectrices among r2-r3 appear to be molted, while the central rectrices are still old.
Hatchling Northern Flicker (subspecies cafer).
In hatchlings, the bill is pale pinkish-cream and the gape is pale pink/orange. The mandibles of nestlings are tipped with white.
Adult Northern Flicker (subspecies luteus).
In adults, the bill is black during prebreeding and breeding seasons and otherwise can be more grayish. The iris in adults is usually a deeper brown but sometimes can be yellowish brown.
Nestling Northern Flicker (Red-shafted subspecies cafer).
In hatchlings, the legs and feet are pale pinkish, becoming gray before fledging
Adult Northern Flicker (subspecies luteus).
In February the bill of adults becomes blackish. The iris of adults is usually a deep brown. The legs and feet are bluish gray to gray.
Male Northern Flicker Intergrade (between Red-shafted subspecies cafer and Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
This intergrade has the gray crown and brown face of Yellow-shafted, lacks intermediate color in the wings and tail, lack's Yellow-shafted's red nape patch, has a red malar like Red-shafted, and intermediate orange wing and tail color.
Male Northern Flicker Intergrade (between Red-shafted subspecies cafer and Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
Intergrades cans show various mixed combinations of plumage features, for example the mixed tan and gray face and mixed red and black malar streak on this individual. The orange remiges of intergrades, in addition to the yellow and red pigment molecules of the two subspecies, have unique molecules that are incompletely oxidized and may be the result of disruptions along the normal pigment modification pathways.
Male Northern Flicker Intergrade (between Red-shafted subspecies cafer and Yellow-shafted subspecies luteus).
This intergrade has an intermediate brown and gray face pattern (but closer to Red-shafted in appearance), has the red nape patch of Yellow-shafted and the red malar of Red-shafted, and has yellow in the tail like Yellow-shafted.
Male lateral view (subspecies chrysocaulosus).
Female lateral view (subspecies chrysocaulosus).
Male lateral view (subspecies chrysocaulosus).
Female lateral view (subspecies chrysocaulosus).
Male dorsal view (subspecies chrysocaulosus).
Male lateral view (subspecies luteus).
Female lateral view (subspecies luteus).
Male frontal view (subspecies luteus).
Male lateral view (subspecies auratus).
Female frontal view (subspecies auratus).
Male dorsal view (subspecies auratus).
Male frontal view (subspecies auratus).
Male lateral view (subspecies cafer).
Female frontal view (subspecies cafer).
Female ventral view (subspecies cafer).
Male dorsal view (subspecies cafer).
Male lateral view (subspecies collaris).
Female lateral view (subspecies collaris).
Male frontal view (subspecies collaris).
Male lateral view (subspecies mexicanus).
Female lateral view (subspecies mexicanus).
Male ventral view (subspecies mexicanus).
Male lateral view (subspecies nanus).
Female frontal view (subspecies nanus).
Male frontal view (subspecies nanus).
Male lateral view (subspecies mexicanoides).
Female lateral view (subspecies mexicanoides).
Male dorsal view (subspecies mexicanoides).
Bird feeders allow Northern Flicker to overwinter north of the usual range; January, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Northern Flicker requires dead or dying trees for a nesting substrate.
Bird in its breeding habitat; New York, United States.
Breeding habitat; Quebec, Canada.
Breeding habitat; British Columbia, Canada.
Bird in its breeding habitat; North Dakota, United States.
Bird in its breeding habitat; California, United States.
Breeding habitat; British Colombia, Canada.
Bird in its habitat; Chiapas, Mexico.
Birds in their habitat; San Marcos, Guatemala.
Bird in its habitat; Francisco Morazán, Honduras.
Northern Flicker is present in residences in winter; December, Colorado, United States.
In California numbers increase during fall and winter as migrants arrive from north.
Northern Flicker arrive in Ohio in March.
Feeding on small fruits.
A flicker pair copulating.
A ratsnake (Pantherophis sp.) leaving a Northern Flicker's nest after eating a nestling.
Male building its nest; May, Ontario, Canada.
Nest with eggs; June, Quebec, Canada.
Male with nestlings; July, Alberta, Canada.
Male in nest placed on dead tree.
Eggs.
Northern Flicker egg.
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; 6 June; Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimen from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Northern Flicker clutch.
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; 6 June; Photographer James Villeneuve; egg specimens from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Hatchlings.
Adult and nestlings.
Male removing fecal sacs from nest.
Fledgling.
Adult feeding fledgling.
Fledgling; June, Alaska, United States.
Dead bird from window collision.
Macaulay Library Photos for Northern Flicker
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.