Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Northern Flicker

Jodi noticed a "Norther Flicker" flying around a dead pine tree over the weekend looking like it was building a nest in the tree. A few minutes later, we were cleaning a bluebird nest and found a dead flicker next to a electric pole. I don't know if the bird was electrocuted or hit the pole but we didn't see any wounds. These birds are gorgeous and I hope they take up residence.

They are beautiful creatures aren't they. we have about 5 of them that come to the bird feeder, and what seems like a hundred fat squirrels.

I'll see them eating ants around here at times.

Northern Flickers sure are colorful. What's weird is I have found more random dead Flickers than any other kind of bird put together. We have a good population in urban Lincoln, and I always have suet cakes for them, Downys and Red Bellied WPs. They also will take peanuts and sunflower seeds at my feeders.

DJ if you put out suet in a cake feeder you may be able to get them to hang around more often, if you don't already. I prefer the hanging feeders which forces them to feed from beneath only, otherwise I get a lot of Jays, Grackles and Starlings that will kill in a day or two. Get's expensive to feed those incidental birds.

I wonder why I've seen so many dead Flickers? Think they might peck at electrical lines they perch upon?

I'll try the feeder and suet cake cause I'd like to see more.

thanks,

DJ this is type of upside down feeder that works for us well. We position it close to the sliding glass door and kitchen windows which face the backyard to afford a close up view of the various woodpeckers. We also get Carolina Wrens, and White and Red Breasted Nuthatches sometimes. They are all so agile and a blast to watch!

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TJ, Bird man of Lincoln....

That may be the species that was hammering my log home last year. I scared it off a few times but finally had to send some lead his or her way when it landed in a tree. Didn't want to do it but...

Don't know what it was thinking as the log home was recently resealed and there is no rotten wood or insects.

I'll just pretend you didn't type that...poor Flicker!

Nobody said flickers are smart! I don't suppose their intelligence is what makes them special... It's the taste! hehe (NOTE: no flickers were harmed in the making of this post)

Flicker Fricassee? Brutal man! If you plan on harvesting them, forget the suet feeder plan, that doesn't allow them a sporting chance, DJ. Shame...

Northern Flickers like to eat ants and beetles.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/northernflicker/

Did I say I killed it?

Truthfully I rarely kill anything anymore. I avoid it at all costs.

Gluttony (being one of the seven deadly sins) caused that Flicker to flicker out.

Makes sense. But it was a NIMBY thing. LOL

I hear you, we have one that occasionally drums on the metal head of our windmill which is located right next to the house.

Last weekend, we had one doing a Ginger Baker reprisal on top of the Peterson BB house. Bluey was honked.

Love it Bski! Anyone have Pileated WP? They are on my hopeful list, along with Cedar Waxwings.

There are several pileated WP where I fish and hunt. Cedar waxwings love mulberry and holly trees. I was lucky enough to see a group of about 50 twice last year on a mulberry tree.

I've seen both here. The Cedar Waxwings usually on their migration thru the area in the Spring. They really like picking any remaining small crab apples off of the tree near the house. Woody stays around all year. First time I saw one I was behind the house deer hunting and it landed in a nearby Oak tree to pick wild grapes off of the vine that was up in the crown of the tree. I never realized that we had that large of a woodpecker around here.

I've seen both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, Blue and Red Breasted Grossbeaks. Once, and that was 2 years ago I saw a wayward Painted Bunting here. I have no idea why it was up this far North. It was about a 2 second glimpse, then it was gone. I had to look in a bird book to see what it was. I thought it was a pet store escapee.

Both pileated and Flickers here. This winter we have a resident red-headed woodpecker at the suet, it is an incredible bird!

Yes, the flickers make the fatal mistake of eating yard chemicals such as the small ball-shaped insecticides. They happen to be the right size and they mistake them for gravel which is a good for their gizzards.

I am very much against treating lawns, for this and many other reasons, but I digress. My wife is tired of hearing me bitch about those perfect lawns in the tracts that are mono-cultures.

I probably spend a vast degree of my stewardship of my little 16 acres to provide habitat of all types to birds, so we get tremendous variety. The cost is my property resembles a bad haircut. I successfully have drawn in Towhees (Drink-your-teaeee!) and now they drive us bonkers as they are the first to wake in the morning.

Its those darned huge flocks of starlings I would like to get rid of though, except they can drain a yard of grubs in minutes.

I have a photo sequence on game camera of a flicker being caught by a hawk. I'll see if I can dig it up and post it. They are neat birds...

TJ,
We saw two pileated WP eating the red seeds that magnolia trees produce last fall. They disappeared when Jodi ran for the camera. They bring to mind "Woody Woodpecker."

Their call is very distinctive and LOUD. We've heard them since but no more sightings.

An oldie-goodie