Northern Flickers, a member of the woodpecker family, are a sight for sore eyes any time of year, but perhaps even more so in the winter when their distinctive plumage stands out against a snowy backdrop.
Northern Flickers are year-round residents in most of the lower 48 states, including our region – additional migrators pass through Erie in spring and fall going to and from their northern breeding range. The species is divided into two subspecies: the red-shafted, which occupies the western half of the states and the yellow-shafted, which resides in the eastern states, including Pennsylvania. The different “shafts” refers to the color of the area around the central support of the primary flight feathers.
Besides their vibrant wing feathers, their muted-brown bodies are decorated with stripes on the back and black spots on the white front. They sport a gray cap and a red crescent-shaped patch on their napes and a black bib patch on the upper chest. Another distinctive field mark is their white rump, which shows in flight and makes it easy to identify. In addition, the male has a black malar stripe extending back from the bill. This field mark is also called a mustache or whisker…