Northrn Flicker
(Colaptes auratus)

A Northern Flicker adult returning to its tree cavity nest is greeted by hungry young.

Facts: Northern Flickers are the "anteaters" of the bird world. They feed on the ground, frequenting lawns and leaf litter. Northern Flickers do not have the super-hammering apparatus of most woodpeckers. This means they can't drill into hard wood and need rotten or soft trees for nest-holes; and they feed primarily on the ground and on downed, rotten logs.