Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Northern Flickers are ubiquitous where nest sites and open ground for feeding occur together. They consume more ants than any other bird species (Ehrlich et al. 1988). As with most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers excavate nesting cavities in dead trees or in branches of live trees. Cavities are often 5-8 meters above the ground (Moore 1995). Old nest cavities are often used by other species such as squirrels, Eastern Screech-Owls and American Kestrels.

Code Frequency

Although Northern Flickers were relatively easy to record, more observation time was required to determine the status of nest sites. Breeding was confirmed in only 19 percent of the records, mostly by observation of noisy young or parents feeding young. Only 9 percent of all records were associated with an actual nest cavity or cavity construction.

Average Number of Birds / 100 stops

Distribution

The distribution map suggests that in southern Missouri this species is associated with larger rivers and reservoirs where there is probably an abundance of large, dead or dying trees essential for nesting. Northern Flickers were recorded in 68 percent of the blocks south of Rolla (the 38th parallel) compared to 89 percent of blocks to the north of this line. The lower number in the forested Ozark section is similar to a study conducted in Arkansas where higher numbers were reported in the open forest of the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (James and Neal 1986).

Abundance

The greater relative abundance in the Ozark Border and Glaciated Plains natural divisions may have been due to the greater interspersion of woodlands and open lands, and the abundance of foraging and nesting sites. Most of the Mississippi Lowlands lacked potential nest cavity trees except for forested regions along the Mississippi and St. Francis rivers, which had extensive forested land adjacent to the river levees.

Phenology

The first migrants arrived about a month before the first nesting activity was observed. Most observations of fledglings occurred May 20-26. By July 23 most nest-associated confirmations ceased, but fledglings were observed through August 20 and activity around the nest hole through August 31. Although Northern Flickers may produce a second brood in the southern portion of their range (Ehrlich et al. 1988), Atlas Project observations suggest that only single broods are produced in Missouri with the peak for observations of nest and young occurring around the second week in June.

Notes

Two forms of the Northern Flicker, the Red-shafted Flickers are usually absent from Missouri May through September (Robbins and Easterla 1992). Three forms of this species were formerly treated as separate species (AOU 1983). Atlasers were not asked to separate Red- from Yellow-shafted Flickers, and it is assumed that only Yellow-shafted forms were observed during the Atlas Project. Of these, the Yellow-shafted Flicker and Red-shafted Flicker, are reported in Missouri, the latter as rare primarily in winter (Robbins and Easterla 1992).

Breeding Evidence

Reported in 965 (80.0%) of 1,207 blocks

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