Northern Flickers are one of the few North American woodpeckers that regularly forage on the ground — they specialize in ants.
Eastern birds have yellow underwings; western birds have salmon-pink. They were once considered separate species but are now recognized as one.
Their drumming on metal flashing, gutters, and roof vents is a notorious nuisance during spring courtship.
Flickers are common backyard visitors but rarely use small nest boxes — they need a 2½" or larger entrance and prefer dead trees.
Suet, sunflower hearts, and peanut butter. Ground feeding stations with ant-attractive setups occasionally pull them in.
Mount a 2½" hole nest box 6–20 ft up on a tree trunk or pole. Filling the box partway with wood chips simulates excavated cavity floor.
Mature trees with standing dead snags. Open ground for ant foraging is critical.
European Starlings will dominate Flicker-sized boxes — site boxes away from urban centers.
Don't put up the box in dense suburbs; they need open foraging ground nearby.
A widespread woodpecker found across nearly all of North America from Alaska to Cuba.
Year-round in the south; northern birds migrate. Common in nearly every forested or wooded region.
Resident in highland forests south to Nicaragua.
A separate subspecies population.
Open country with scattered trees, woodland edges, suburban yards, parks, and orchards. They favor open ground for ant foraging.
Large box (medium-class) needed — packs deeply with shavings to mimic excavated cavity.