Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Picidae
The ground-foraging woodpecker. Unlike other woodpeckers that hitch up trunks, Northern Flickers spend most of their time on lawns and open ground eating ants. Big, brown, striking — tan-brown with black bars, a black bib, a red or yellow flash under the tail in flight, and vivid golden underwings.
How to spot one.
11–12 inches — large, robin-sized or bigger
Warm brown back with fine black barring
Black spotted breast and belly with a broad black bib
Bright golden-yellow (eastern subspecies) underwings in flight
White rump patch that flashes when it takes off
Males have a black 'moustache' stripe on the face
What it sounds like.
Loud, laughing 'wick-a-wick-a-wick-a' — one of the most distinctive spring sounds in NJ. Also a single-note 'klee-yer' call.
How it lives.
Almost entirely ground-foraging in summer — you'll see one on the lawn probing for ants with its long tongue. Cavity nester in dead trees. Migratory in far northern parts of range, but most NJ flickers stay put.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 11–12.2 inches
- Present in NJ
- Year-round
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Picidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Ants (about 45% of the diet — more than any other North American bird)
Beetle larvae from soil
Grasshoppers, caterpillars
Some berries and seeds
Fall / winter
Persistent native berries (sumac, dogwood, poison ivy)
Wild grapes, hackberries
Occasional suet at feeders
Some ants when soil is unfrozen
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Sumac (Rhus)
Fruit / berry source
Native dogwoods
Fruit / berry source
Wild grapes (Vitis)
Fruit / berry source
Dead standing trees (snags)
Cover / habitat
Ant-rich lawn and soil
Cover / habitat
Audubon Field Guide · All About Birds (Cornell)
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