
Most woodpeckers in North America have the iconic red-white-red color palette associated with their species, but the northern flicker breaks that rule. While they still have that stunning red spot on their head, their brown and grey speckled patterning makes them unique looking compared to other woodpecker species. Along with this, there are two distinct groups of northern flickers: red shafted and yellow shafted. This has gained them the nickname, "Yellow Hammer", as the shaft of their feather (or the hard part you can hold) is yellow or red rather than grey!
Woodpeckers have gained their name via their distinct behavior of pecking wood, but northern flickers are special in that regard. Having long tongues like ant eaters, they actually prefer eating things off the ground, standing over ant hills and feasting on the small insects entering and exiting their colony. Along with this, they're one of the few woodpecker species to actually migrate, moving toward warmer weather during the winter. Their preference on where to feed doesn't mean they don't peck wood though. Hammering for woodpeckers is a way to communicate, and northern flickers will intentionally hit metal and hollow objects in order to send their messages over a farther distance.
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