{"id":1523,"date":"2019-10-03T03:57:44","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T03:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/?p=1523"},"modified":"2019-10-04T04:48:22","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T04:48:22","slug":"the-northern-flicker-an-unusual-woodpecker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.viu.ca\/biol325\/2019\/10\/03\/the-northern-flicker-an-unusual-woodpecker\/","title":{"rendered":"The Northern Flicker: An Unusual Woodpecker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Part 1: The Norther Flicker<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Norther Flicker (Colaptes auratus)<\/em> is an easily recognizable woodpecker due to the 1920’s inspired black and white polka dot dress and black bib it appears to be wearing. At a maximum length and weight of 31 centimeters and 160 grams respectively (similar to a Steller’s Jay), these birds are the second largest woodpecker in North America behind the Pileated Woodpecker (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2017)<\/a>. This species of woodpecker exhibit sexual dichromatism, which allows for easy sexing of a bird based on color variations between males and females. Fittingly enough, males sport a proud mustache whereas females go without. Two main groups of Northern Flickers are present in North America: the yellow-shafted (found in the East) and the red-shafted (in the West) (Manthley et al. 2016)<\/a>. Identification between these two groups can be done by comparing the coloration of the nape, mustachial stripe and shafts of the feathers. The Red-Shafted Flicker has a brown nape, red mustachial stripe (males) and the shafts of flight feathers are pinkish red. In contrast, the Yellow-Shafted Flicker has a distinct red nape, black mustachial stripe and bright yellow feather shafts (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2017)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig 1. Yellow-Shafted Northern Flicker showing the yellow shafts of the feathers as well as black whisker and red nape (birdsna.org<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fig 2. Red-Shafted Northern Flicker showing the red whisker and lack of a red nape (blog.duncraft.com<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Distribution, habitat and diet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike most woodpeckers, which are often permanent residents, Northern Flickers may take part in short-distance migrations (Wiebe and Gerstmar 2010)<\/a>. The largest contributing factor dictating the total length of a migration is the original breeding location. Although quite uncommon, some banded individuals have undergone lengthy migrations from northern British-Columbia to the Baja peninsula in Mexico (2882 km) (Gow and Wiebe 2014)<\/a>. The larger proportion of Flicker populations, residing in more southern locations, will typically have much shorter migrations or avoid migration altogether and live a sedentary lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fig 3. Range of the Northern Flicker (allaboutbirds.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Flickers can live in a wide range of environments. Their most common habitats are open forests, forest edges and fields but it is not unusual to see them near lakes, marshes and urban areas (Wiebe and Gow 2012<\/a>). During the breeding season their diet is almost entirely comprised of ants (<90%). Flickers have also been documented to eat fruits and seeds when ant availability decreases (Wiebe and Gow 2012<\/a>). Flickers probe the ground with their long bills and barbed tongues to pick away at ants and hidden nutritious larvae. Prey density and catch rate is higher in low grasslands and forest edges when compared to dense forests and very wet habitats. This makes Norther Flickers far more likely to be seen foraging on the ground along the edge of a forest than crawling up the bark of trees in densely vegetated areas like many woodpeckers (Elchuck and Wiebe 2003<\/a>; Wiebe and Gow 2012<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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