Bird Gallery Index

Northern Flicker (male red-shafted) image © Barbara Edmondson

Family: (Picidae) Woodpeckers

Preferred Habitat: Woodlands.

Seasonal Occurrence: Yellow-shafted form very common October through April. Less common in summer.

Notes: Northern Flickers are primarily winter residents in Houston. Their favorite food is ants and they may often be found foraging for them on the ground. There are two distinct forms. The yellow-shafted flicker is the Eastern variety and the one typically seen in Houston. The red-shafted flicker is distinguished by red, not yellow, underwings and, for males, by a red mustache stripe. Male yellow-shafts have a black mustache stripe. Formerly they were considered to be separated species. The two forms frequently hybridize in areas where they are found together. Red-shafted flickers are primarily found in the western U.S. They are rare visitors to our area in winter and should be searched for on the Katy Prairie, west of Houston. Yellow-shafted flickers breed in Houston and then most of them depart in late June. Flicker numbers have declined over the past several years. A contributing factor appears to be pesticide use on lawns. The Houston Bird Survey has more information and a distribution map.
- Susan Billetdeaux