Through his stories and my lack of ability to spot Pileated Woodpeckers these birds became a legend. He was not a birder, he just had the fortune of seemingly bumping into Pileated Woodpeckers on a regular basis. Many years ago, long before I got into birding a friend of mine was sharing stories about his encounters with these magnificent birds. Pileated Woodpeckers hold a special place in my heart. FebruProject 366 Alberta, Edmonton, Flying Squirrel, Northern Flicker, RAM, Royal Alberta Museum, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Mario Pineda Project 366 – Post No. This is from “The Birds are Calling” blog ( Copyright Mario Pineda. Of course, it could just be me…, I am sure the woodpeckers are there all year round, they just are better at hiding when there are leaves on the trees I guess. As a matter of fact, my woodpecker track record during spring, summer and fall is atrocious. I have never, however, encountered multiple species of woodpeckers like this during any of the other seasons. Winter is definitely woodpecker season, so it is quite easy to see this type of woodpecker abundance (multiple species in the same stand of trees). Of the three diorama posts, in my experience, this one is the most unrealistic. Irregular (absent some years defined as an average of one record by all observers in the stated number of years):ĭesignations for winter water birds are based on periods when lakes are mostly icefree.īird Photographs: Jim Ault, Carol Freeman, Jim Steffen.Here is one last diorama post, this time from a deciduous forest with, what appears to be cottonwoods or aspen stands and a Northern Flicker in the center, a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker on the left and a snoozing flying squirrel in its den on the right. VU = Very Uncommon (3 per month to 2 per week) P= Permanent Residents (although wild birds are possible look for clipped wing) Regular(expected annually defined as the average number of individual birds per birding day, week, or month expected by an experienced observer under normal circumstances in the proper habitat at the optimum time of season):
Ants produce formic acid, which kills parasites on the bird's skin and feathers. Flickers also squash ants and apply them to their bodies. So this woodpecker prefers feeding on the ground, plucking its food from anthills, grassy meadows, and lawns. Most woodpeckers chisel and pound on tree bark to find insects to eat, but the northern flicker especially loves ants. They'll be back in April, among the bird species that can be called harbingers of spring. In September, you can often see small flocks of flickers traveling together and stopping at the Garden to feed and rest. A few may remain here depending on food availability. Most North American woodpeckers don't migrate, but some northern flickers do, especially those spending the summer in northern Illinois. They're quite common in September at the Chicago Botanic Garden. In autumn, flickers feed on the berries of poison ivy, Virginia creeper, and other fall fruits, as well as insects, including ants and grasshoppers in fields. Both parents feed the young, bringing crushed insect morsels into their home in the tree cavity. Five to eight eggs hatch in about 11 to 16 days. Flickers carve a cavity in a dead or dying tree and then line it with wood chips. Once a pair is established, nest-building begins. They dance, bow, sway, and sing facing their intended mate. Flickers with red beneath their wings belong to the red-shafted race and are found mostly in the western United States.įlickers perform lively courtship rituals. When the flicker flies, you can see a golden yellow color in its under wings, indicating that the bird belongs to the yellow-shafted race. The male has a black mustache, and the female sometimes has a gray one. Identify the northern flicker by its barred back, black spots on a white belly, bold black chest bib, and red crescent on a gray neck. Its loud, laughing, rapid “kick-kick-kick-kick-kick” song echoes through the woods, mostly in spring and early summer. Unlike many woodland birds, the northern flicker produces a sound that seems to come from the jungle. Description: This migrant woodpecker and breeder feeds on ants and can be found in any tree-covered area or on the lawn.