Description
Northern flickers are medium sized woodpeckers ranging from 11-14 inches in length. They are most easily identified by the red strip on the back of their head and vibrant tail feathers with black tips. Tail feather colors vary by subspecies. They have white-beige bellies with black spots.
Males are identified by the moustache bars off the end of the beak. The two subspecies vary in moustache color.
Northern Flickers that visit or live in Alaska are usually larger than their southern relatives. They are also known to live up to 9 years.
Diet & Habitat
Flickers eat insects such as moth, beetles, butterflies and other smaller bugs. But they will also feed on berries, nuts, and seeds. Unlike other woodpeckers it is not uncommon to see them feeding the ground, probing the dirt and leaves.
Northern flickers migrate to interior Alaska in the summer for breeder and raising young, often leaving soon after the young are able to fly. In southeast Alaska it is possible to find them in all seasons.
