Northern Flicker Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesNorthern Flicker
Male (Yellow-shafted)
Large woodpecker with a black bib and spotted belly. Males in the East have a red nape, a black whisker, and yellow shafts on the flight and tail feathers.
© Warren Lynn / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, January 15, 2014Male (Red-shafted)
Males in the West have a red whisker while those in the East have a black whisker. The upperparts are mostly brownish-gray with black barring. White rump sometimes visible while perched.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 07, 2018Female (Yellow-shafted)
Often sits sideways on branches, unlike other woodpeckers. Note yellow underside of tail; "Yellow-shafted" females lack the black mustache mark of males.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, December 07, 2004Not all videos have sound
Female (Yellow-shafted)
Females have a peachy-brown face, a gray crown and nape, and a red spot on the nape. Buffy underparts densely spotted with black.
© David Disher / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, February 13, 2015Female (Red-shafted)
Females in the West have a gray-and-tan face and show reddish feather shafts on the underside of the tail.
© Eric Ellingson / Macaulay LibraryWashington, October 03, 2019Male (Red-shafted)
Main call is a loud, rolling rattle with a piercing tone that lasts 7 or 8 seconds. Male "Red-shafted" form has red mustache stripe.
© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay LibraryColorado, April 15, 2009Not all videos have sound
Female (Yellow-shafted)
In flight note the white rump patch. Birds in the East flash yellow shafts on the flight feathers and tail.
© Michael O'Brien / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, October 17, 2017Male (Red-shafted)
In flight, its white rump contrasts with the rest of the plumage. Individuals in the West have red shafts to the flight feathers and tail that are usually obvious in flight.
© Max Brodie / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 30, 2020Female (Red-shafted)
A main food source is ants, and flickers often forage on the ground for them. Female "Red-shafted" form has a gray face and lacks both a red crescent on the nape and a mustache stripe. This video has no audio.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMontana, April 01, 2000Not all videos have sound
Male (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted intergrade)
Intergrade individuals usually have a mixture of the plumage markings of Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted birds and an orange color in the flight feathers.
© Mason Maron / Macaulay LibraryWashington, May 04, 2020Male (Yellow-shafted)
Shows a bold white rump in flight.
© Loyan Beausoleil / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 20, 2020Male (Red-shafted)
"Red-shafted" form has pink-red in tail and wing feathers. Males have red mustache stripe. May feed vertically on tree trunks like other woodpeckers; often feeds from the ground on ants.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMontana, January 01, 2000Not all videos have sound
Male (Guatemalan)
Residents in Guatemala have a brown crown and whisker stripe. Red undertail is visible from some angles.
© Esteban Matías (birding guide) Sierra de los Cuchumatanes Huehuetenango esteban.matias@hotmail.com +502 53810540 / Macaulay LibraryHuehuetenango, March 25, 2020Female (Guatemalan)
Residents in Guatemala have a brown crown and whisker stripe. Red undertail is visible from some angles.
© Alfonso Auerbach / Macaulay LibraryFrancisco Morazán, March 18, 2017Male (Red-shafted)
The red underside of the tail can be obvious from certain angles on perched birds. Note the red whisker on males in the West.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryNevada, October 08, 2015Male (Yellow-shafted)
Regularly forages on the ground.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryIowa, October 12, 2016Female (Red-shafted)
Found in a wide variety of both open and wooded habitats.
© abbi gomersall / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, December 11, 2016Similar SpeciesGilded Flicker
Male
Gilded Flickers of southern Arizona have yellow under the wings and tail while Northern Flickers in the western U.S. have red under the wings and tail. Gilded Flickers also have more brown on the crown and nape than Northern Flickers which have more gray on the crown and nape.
© Edward Allen / Macaulay LibraryBaja California Sur, December 22, 2015Similar SpeciesGilded Flicker
Female
Female Gilded Flickers have more extensive brown on the crown and nape that female Northern Flickers. They have yellow under the wings and tail while Northern Flickers in the western U.S. have red under the wings and tail.
© Glenn Kincaid / Macaulay LibraryArizona, December 22, 2015Similar SpeciesGila Woodpecker
Female
The back of Gila Woodpeckers is barred black and white whereas the back of Northern Flickers is barred black and brown.
© terence zahner / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 05, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-bellied Woodpecker
Female
Red-bellied Woodpeckers have a black-and-white barred back and red nape whereas Northern Flickers have a black-and-brown barred back and a gray nape.
© Scott Martin / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 12, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Woodpeckers(Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae)
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