Northern Flickers are a large woodpecker, roughly 12 to 14 inches with a wingspan up to 21 inches. They have black bars on the back and wings and a necklace-like black patch on the upper chest. Other common names for the Northern Flicker include clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird.
They feed by probing with their beak and sometimes may catch insects in flight. Ants are their most important source of food. A Flicker's stomach can contain thousands of ants. It also eats a variety of other insects and wild fruit, especially wild cherries, dogwood, sumac and poison ivy. It may also visit suet feeders during the winter months.
Read more about the amazing Northern Flicker here.
My first time seeing a Northern Flicker was in the Summer of 2020 while birding with my mom at Beach Plum Farm in Ogunquit. It's quite a beautiful bird and I was drawn to its unique markings. This beautiful bird did not seem afraid of us as it went about the business of feeding on insects and we were able to admire it from a distance for quite some time. I hope you enjoy my graphic artwork of the Northern Flicker inspired by that day.
Northern Flicker prints are now available in my online shop!
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