Male Northern red-shafted flicker excavates nest cavity in an alder snag
as the female explores the work.
Tumwater, Washington. April 27, 2020
Woodpeckers are cavity nesters, making their nest in hollowed out snags. The Northern flicker rarely reuses the same nest from season to season. In the spring, both male and female help with the nest excavation. Here, a male Northern flicker flings wood chips out of cavity. As I stood and watched the alder snag, I could hear a low thumping coming from within as the male worked away. (I was at least 40 feet away!)
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| The male flicker has distinctive, bright cheek patches. They are called red-shafted because the shafts of their feathers are reddish orange. In other parts of the US, the flicker's feathers have a yellow shaft |
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| Northern flickers collect most of their of their food off the ground. Ants are a preferred food. Note the impressive claws on this female. They are well adapted for digging, as well as using their beak to hammer away at hard soil. |
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| The female Northern flicker has a plain face with gray and tan dominating. Their intricate body and wing feathers create camouflage from predators. |