We had two Northern Flickers visit our yard this morning. I can’t say we had a pair as they were both males. We first noticed them when they flew down to our bird pond for a short drink. They then proceeded to have a little breakfast. Their breakfast was not provided by us, as Northern Flickers rarely visit suet feeders. It has warmed up and the ants were moving around their holes. Ants are the main food source for Northern Flickers. The flicker will dig in the dirt and then use its long barbed tongue to lick up the ants.
The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that migrates. Flickers in the northern parts of their range move south for the winter, although a few individuals often stay rather far north.
Although flickers prefer to eat on the ground, they will act like other woodpeckers and drum on objects. This drumming lets other flickers know that they have established a territory and that the flicker considers it priviate property. For this reason the flicker likes to make as much noise as possible and will drum on metal objects. One Northern Flicker in Wyoming could be heard drumming on an abandoned tractor from a half-mile away.
We are glad that the flickers stopped in for a visit, but do hope that they do not start drumming on our metal chimney pipe!