Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the common flicker. This woodpecker is also known as the northern flicker. It ranges throughout Northern Canada to Central America, which may be where the "northern" in its name comes from. The name "flicker" may have been inspired by the flicker of white the flashes from their rump when they take off in flight, but it may also come from their flickering call. Here's an example: (audio)

Although common flickers are woodpeckers, they don't behave like typical woodpeckers. In fact, they aren't often seen actually pecking at wood. Instead, northern flickers are a ground dwelling species. They use their slightly downward shaped beak to peck at the ground and dig in the dirt. Here, they're searching for ants. Common flickers are primarily ant consumers. In some studies, they've been observed with thousands of ants in their stomach! Plus, like anteaters, they have long, sticky tongues for lapping up these juicy treats. Like other woodpeckers, the common flicker's tongue wraps around its skull, and in the case of this species they can stick it out more than two inches (5 cm) past the end of their bill.

Apart from ants, northern flickers eat beetles, insect larvae, snails, berries, and much more. They take more plant-based meals in the winter when insect populations are scarce because, throughout most of their range, these birds are residents. Instead of migrating to warmer areas during the coldest parts of the year, flickers remain in the same spot year-round. Only the most northerly living individuals fly south for the winter, staying in southern Texas and Mexico for the winter months. 

Common flickers live just about anywhere there are trees, however, they don't like dense forests– they need open spaces for foraging. It's not uncommon to see them along forest edges, open fields with sparse vegetation, and even suburban yards. The other essential item in their habitat is nesting trees. Unlike other woodpeckers, northern flickers will use the same nesting cavities throughout consecutive years. They often excavate holes already present in trees and expand them to meet their needs. For this reason, these birds need dead and decaying wood. Unfortunately, this is often removed by humans or these places are taken over by introduced species.

One of the common flicker's greatest threats is the starling. These birds are not native to the flicker's range and use tree hollows flickers would otherwise use to raise their young, so the flicker's have fewer breeding opportunities. They're also impacted by run-ins with vehicles and buildings. All of these are anthropogenic in nature. In terms of predators, northern flickers have to watch out for egg-stealing raccoons, feral and outdoor cats, as well as hawks who swoop on them from above while they forage on the ground. To escape, they fly to trees but often grab thin vertical twigs towards the tips of branches.

When they aren't overrun with starlings, common flickers lay their eggs in tree cavities. The male courts the female with jousting displays of his bill, and both parents take part in raising the young. An average clutch has five to eight eggs that are incubated for about two weeks and the chicks start leaving the nest by four weeks of age. They're able to breed by next year's mating season and can live to be about a decade old. One way they help reduce parasites is by anting. Not only do they eat these arthropods, but the flickers disturb their nests so the ants crawl over their feathers and release an acid that repels lice! 

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