Habitat
Strongly associated with, but not completely restricted to, giant cactus forests of southwestern deserts.Back to top
Food
Insects, primarily ants. Also fruits and seeds.Back to top
Nesting
Nest Placement
Nest Description
Digs hole in saguaro cactus. Cavity unlined.
Nesting Facts
| Clutch Size: | 4-5 eggs |
| Egg Length: | 1.0-1.2 in (2.59-3.14 cm) |
| Egg Width: | 0.8-0.9 in (2-2.22 cm) |
| Egg Description: | White. |
| Condition at Hatching: | Naked and helpless. |
Behavior
Forages primarily on ground.Back to top
Conservation
Gilded Flicker populations appear to have declined between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 600,000, with 40% living in the U.S., and 60% in Mexico. The species rates a 14 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, and are on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List, which lists bird species that are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action. Back to top
Credits
Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. (2019). Longevity records of North American birds. Version 1019 Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2019.
Moore, William S., Peter Pyle and Karen L. Wiebe. (2017). Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides), version 2.1. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. (2014). The State of the Birds 2014 Report. US Department of Interior, Washington, DC, USA.
Partners in Flight (2017). Avian Conservation Assessment Database. 2017.
Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, J. E. Fallon, K. L. Pardieck, Jr. Ziolkowski, D. J. and W. A. Link. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, results and analysis 1966-2013 (Version 1.30.15). USGS Patuxtent Wildlife Research Center (2014b). Available from http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.
