Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPiciformes (Woodpeckers and Allies)
- FamilyPicidae (Woodpeckers)
- GenusColaptes (Flickers and Allies)
- SpeciesColaptes auratus (Northern Flicker)
About the Northern Flicker
The northern flicker or common flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer (not to be confused with the Eurasian yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)), clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names derive from attempts to imitate some of its calls.
The English naturalist Mark Catesby described and illustrated the northern flicker in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands which was published between 1729 and 1732. Catesby used the English name "Gold-winged Wood-pecker" and the Latin Picus major alis aureis. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for its 10th edition, he included the northern flicker, coined the binomial name Cuculus auratus for it, and cited Catesby's book.
The specific epithet auratus is a Latin word meaning "gilded" or "ornamented with gold". The... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Northern Flicker in Jasper National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Jasper National Park
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides dorsalis
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Black-backed Woodpecker
Picoides arcticus
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 13 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Flicker in Jasper National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Flicker sighting in Jasper National Park, based on 385 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Flicker in Jasper National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Northern Flicker in Jasper National Park in our monthly data.