Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is in the Woodpeckers family (Picidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 106,233 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Northern Flicker: observations by month (U.S.)

About Northern Flicker

The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer (not to be confused with the Eurasian yellowhammer), clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Northern Flicker by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Woodpeckers)

Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens

Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus

Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus

Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorus

Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius

Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus

Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus

Nuttall's WoodpeckerDryobates nuttallii

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ