In the world of birds, late fall is a time of lean feeding
options. Here on the Hill, this means an increase in action at
backyard birdfeeders. One frequent feeder visitor is our
neighborhood’s most common woodpecker: the northern flicker.
Unlike smaller birds such as chickadees and juncos, flickers can
demolish a feeder’s food stash alarmingly quickly—but it’s fun
to watch them eat. The northern flicker is brownish overall,
with black bars on the back and black spots on the front. It has
a dapper black crescent on the breast and red markings around
the head and wings. (Some individuals, called yellow-shafted
northern flickers, have yellow rather than red on the wings.) In
the wild, flickers forage both on trees and on the ground,
locating prey by sight or sound. When you see a flicker on a
feeder, take the opportunity to observe its anatomy up close.
Like many other woodpeckers, flickers have thick tails that they
use for extra support as they maneuver their bodies along tree
trunks. These tails also come in