The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds

The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is one of the most commonly-seen members of the woodpecker family in Colorado. Flickers are unmistakable, with their large size (12-14 inches tall) and dramatic coloration, and they are the only woodpecker that regularly feeds on the ground.

Red-shafted flickers are the color variety most commonly seen in the western United States, named for the bright red or red-orange shafts of their wing feathers. In flight, the undersides of their wings are visible as a flash of red. Males and females have similar coloration, but males can be identified by their red cheek patches or “moustaches” (above). Like other woodpeckers, the primary food of the flicker is insects, although they will also eat fruits, seeds, and nuts.

Northern-dwelling flickers migrate in winter, unlike most other woodpecker species.  The red-shafted flicker also interbreeds with the yellow-shafted flicker where their ranges overlap.  Although formerly thought to be separate species, the red-shafted flicker is now considered a subspecies (Colaptes auratus cafer).

As you walk around Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, watch for the undulating flight and red wings of the northern flicker, and listen for loud drumming or a “laughing” ki ki ki ki call.

 At the nearby Manitou Experimental Forest, abandoned flicker nesting cavities serve as nesting cavities for the sensitive flammulated owl (Otus flammeolus).

-Melissa Barton

Photo Credits: Elaine R. Wilson (male) & Alan D. Wilson (female)/NaturesPicsOnline.com (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 license). Both photos taken in Oregon.