Northern Flicker Similar Species Comparison, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Similar Species

Gilded 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.

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Similar Species

Gilded 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.

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Similar Species

Gila Woodpecker

Female

The back of Gila Woodpeckers is barred black and white whereas the back of Northern Flickers is barred black and brown.

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Similar Species

Red-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.

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Main Species

Northern 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.

Male (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.

Female (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.

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Male (intergrade)

Intergrade individuals usually have a mixture of the plumage markings of Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted birds.

Female (Guatemalan)

Residents in Guatemala have a brown crown and whisker stripe. Red undertail is visible from some angles.

Male (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.

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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.

Male (Yellow-shafted)

In flight note the white rump patch. Birds in the East flash yellow shafts on the flight feathers and tail.

Female (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.

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Female (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.

Male (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.

Male (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.

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Male (Yellow-shafted)

Regularly forages on the ground.

Female (Red-shafted)

Found in a wide variety of both open and wooded habitats.

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