Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

A large, distinctive woodpecker often seen foraging on the ground for ants. In Alaska, the Red-shafted form shows salmon-red underwing linings and a red malar stripe on males.

Where to look

Forested areas and meadow edges around Kodiak town; often spotted on lawns flipping over leaf litter.

Habitat

Open forests, forest edges, and wooded suburbs.

Diet

Ants and beetle larvae; also berries and seeds.

Natural history note

Unlike most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers spend a lot of time on the ground feeding on ants, using their long barbed tongue to extract them from ant mounds.