The Northern Flicker is one of the most widespread and easily recognized woodpeckers in Arizona. Unlike many woodpeckers that cling to tree trunks, flickers are often seen foraging on the ground, probing the soil for ants and beetles, which make up much of their diet.
In Arizona, two subspecies are present: the Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus cafer), which is the common resident across most of the state, and the Yellow-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus), which occurs as a rare winter visitor or migrant. The Red-shafted form is distinguished by its red underwing and undertail feathers, gray face with a red malar (mustache) stripe in males, and brown barred back.
Northern Flickers inhabit a wide range of habitats in Arizona, from desert washes and riparian woodlands to open pine and mixed conifer forests in higher elevations. They nest in tree cavities, often reusing natural holes or excavating their own, and occasionally adapt to nesting in utility poles or wooden structures.
