Pest control salesman came by my door today saying he sprayed for ants at neighboring houses. I said I have Northern Flickers that eat my ants. Tried to educate him. Asked him to leave, I do not want your poison. My favourite bird when they started appearing 2 years ago.
We have ants too… (oh well…. ) We refuse to poison them too. We also have mice that we have been trying to solve the mystery of how they get in the house …even tho we would rather not live with them we will NEVER POISON THEM. I trap and release and I’m sure the predators prefer their prey without poison in their system.
I have a female red shafted northern flicker that nests in my Pennsylvania yard. It's the perfect place for her because i have a leaf litter and twig pile from downed branches I pile up. She loves to rifle thru that, but I also grow like 10 different types of berries and the one corner of my yard has ant problem. My yard literally has everything a northern flicker like to eat. The red breasted robins get the worms from the garden beds though lol. They literally line up in spring waiting for me to water the beds or disturb the soil then they swoop in and feast. They peck thru the straw mulch and gorge on earthworms and invasive jumping worms
Thanks for such a great video well done. I have never seen red shafted flicker but have plenty of the yellow shafted in my area I put up a box for woodpeckers This year but no tackers maby next year.🕊️
*that would make for a really, really big flicker that's a given* *also we love our resident woodpeckers around here...so much fun to see and hear them messing about in the gutters*
If you enjoyed the video - Liking, Leaving a comment, or sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. helps out in a big way. From myself and my bird buddies, thank you ALL for watching. It's greatly appreciated!
Thank you! Loved it! Will share. I've enjoyed both Flickers on both coasts, and they are magical! Yes hard to catch, but so worth it, when you do! Having a backyard feeder with sunflower seeds helps! I scatter some on the ground too. Dang chipmunks get most of them, but I got the Morning Doves & Bleeding Hearts coming back now!
@@nicksweeney5176 all bird's have feather lice. perhaps the ants are eating the lice then eaten by the bird?? I've seen them do this as well. Black ants inside rotting trees ??
@@davidmasland5627 Well, hmmmm...🤔💭💭💭 This might could be, this might just could be. There's also the angle of infuriated, resentful Ants being aggravated to point of hot murder, then being set loose all over the Bird, to hose everything down with Formic Acid, which kills small parasites quite handily.🤷🏻♂️
They like to dig out the ants from between the bricks in my patio. They end up pulling and preventing weeds, too! I love them. ❤️ That’s why I don’t spray for weeds anymore. I’m afraid I’ll hurt them!
I have become quite connected to northern flickers this spring, as a number of pairs tried to nest in the walls of a nearby grocery store. The manager got a pest control company in and I was horrified, and I notified environment Canada to see what could be done - in the end an in-depth report was prepared and followed through with both Store and the pest control company, so I feel happy that I was able to possibly save some of the birds. Thank you for this great video Lesley; I always enjoy your videos!
I saved a Red Shafted Flicker last Winter as he was hit by a car and stood by the side of the road wounded. I picked him up and proceeded to take him to the Veterinary . The x-ray showed that him left wing and his shoulder were injured along with his neck. My husband and I kept him in our house for five months. He showed healing after two months and we kept him longer as the Winter would not have been the time to release him. He recovered beautifully and we let him go this Spring. We believe we have seen him a handful of times, calling him by name, Fred. We are so pleased we could help him recoperate and continue his life! We loved him but he managed to keep a distance from us which was healthy for his next stage of life. Thank you for your wonderful video. From one Bird lover to another❤️
The yellow shafted flickers are quite common on my property in Michigan. The metal rain cap on my chimney is one of their favorite drumming locations. It sounds like a machine gun and always startles me at first. But I am happy to have them here.
Does it hurt it? I have one at my house right now and every day at day break for the last 3 days it drums on my gutter on the corner of my house right outside my room lol. I scared him off a few times, but I also don’t want to scare them off for good bc they eat allot of insects
I'm really loving these collaboration videos. There are so many talented birders out there. (Not that your work isn't superb)! Interesting about the deep cavities that they nest in.
The "collar" under their chin helps me identify them from red bellies The collar reminds me of the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, so the wife and I nicknamed these "Gins-Birds".
I LOVE FLICKERS! I've been feeding them for years and years in my backyard in southeastern Michigan. They are such beautiful birds with a lovely call!!
I suffered a heart break a few years back and, in a way, this started my feeding local birds as a distraction. I had had some experience with a pet bird (a red bellied poicephalus who died way too young from an incurable disease) so I was already very sympathetic to birds and their plights in modern human environments. The first thing was to let a tree that died in our small back yard still stand. It became a great place for the hummingbirds to survey their domain, and I saw a lot of littler birds foraging in the bare branches. As my interest in our sadly neglected yard grew, I put out a couple of bird baths, and eventually bought hummingbird feeders. Then a couple of seed feeders... The birds were quite appreciative and I was thrilled to see them feeding, bathing, drinking, arguing, bringing their fledglings to our cat-less yard... This winter I put out two humming bird feeders on our second floor porch (almost wrote "perch"!), zip tied some pretty, dead branches to the railing for elevated places to invite the birds in, and then added a seed feeder and two suet cages. OMG. SO MANY BIRDS THIS WINTER! Including, but not limited to pileated and downy woodpeckers which I had never seen before. Then, we had Northern flickers! BIG groups of them! They first came to pillage the ants that had taken up residence in the yard- about six or seven of them came over a few days and basically ate all of them. :D Then these three types of birds found the suet feeders and wow, they LOVED that stuff! So fabulous to see them up close through our windows... The snow is gone now so they've scattered to find their usual food but they still stop by for a suet top up. Thank you so much for this video, and all your videos. I've learned so much from you and felt so encouraged to make our garden more and more bird friendly. I hope you have a wonderful new year!
I saw one of these for the first time in 2019 after the California fires and it inspired me to learn of birds, 2+ years lator I can name every bird call I hear and I keep a chickens
We have them in our backyard in Southern Alberta pretty much year round. The fledglings are very entertaining, landing in our birdbaths and standing around with their mouths open and waiting for mom or dad to feed them.
I love these birds!! I had a nest last year that was used by a nuthatch this year. I always wondered why they hopped on the ground and not going up a tree. Thanks for this wonderful video Lesley.
Beautifully done video here Lesley. I adore 🥰 the Northern Flicker woodpecker. They are such delightfully fun birds to observe and assist however we can. Love the tips to help the Flicker survive in our own habitats. 🙏 Thank YOU Lesley! Great job!
Agree! Your videos and commentary are truly enjoyable. You give depth to my rudimentary knowledge of birds. So glad I found your channel! I'm a fan of the Eastern Bluebird and have seven of them on my feeder as I type. Taking the time to stop and observe the birds has added a level of calm and insight to my life. I love sharing my world with them.
The local flickers came by the other day, with their young one.... they called me outside and made the rolling noise when I brought out some feed... they were teaching the young, making sure they know to come here.... feels like family
They have been hanging out in my Blueberry Bushes in Louisiana . I dont know if they are eating blueberries or if they are eating the leaf footed beetles. It seems im seeing less leaf footed beetles this year because of the Flickers.
I'm always thrilled to see the first northern flickers every year--they're a sign of spring in southern Michigan! Such beautiful birds to look at with all those spots, mustaches and all.
Lesley, you're the best! I'm living in the Maine woods right now and was curious about this guy who's been showing up under the pines to pick up the seeds I throw out. Thanks to all who contributed!
Thanks for the details of the nest. You got me scheming. Had some feeding in our yard a few years back. Can you make a video about the Great Crested Flycatcher? A lovely bird living in our yard the past few years.
I saw them all time eating ants in my yard when i was growing up. I moved to central New England 20 years ago and rarely saw (or even heard) them until just this year. I have a local pair and my yard is full of ants. 😄
The first Northern Flicker I was blessed to see was jack-hammering through the snow on our place in southern Colorado. It was amazing to see how vigorously it worked! I fell in love immediately. What a great species that we are so blessed to have with us. Loved your message at the end about protecting and providing habitat for them. They deserve it!
Great Video Lesley and Jamie I like how you showed the inside of the nest. I had a mated pair come to my feeder every day lthe past winter except for the days it was storming. Hope you both having great summer A bird watching friend Derek
Thank you to all the people who protect their natural environment and thanks for this video. I've noticed they "chuck" when they see me, skidish birds and very smart.
Never seen the northern flicker, but what a beautiful bird. I have plenty of downed trees, I used as border to garden area, so maybe one day they will come. Since I live in forest area there are plenty of downed trees for them to choose from though. I hear that call, but could be the pileated who visits my yard every so often.
Gorgeous bird, such a treat whenever I spot one. I think I saw one flying last week, it had that distinctive white rump when it flew! that was all i could tell from it, as I wasn't wearing my glasses... I thought it was a mourning dove at first because of the brown. Very possible it was a flicker though!! Great video, Lesley
Mourning Dove would not have had a white rump. Only white on that part of a Mourning Dove is a fringe along the outer tail feathers. I'd say you saw a Flicker!
There is also a Guatemalan variation of the Northern Flicker - which has a beautiful plumage of dirty wine head and scarlet mustache for the male and rustic head and mustache for the female.
thank you for making these videos, as a fellow bird lover i find them fascinating and very entertaining, as well as very good material for inspiration while painting
Two times I’ve seen them on sidewalks, which I assume they were going after ants. I hear the call often but don’t see them around our yard and feeders much. Plenty of ants to eat on the property.
I've had a sudden influx of starlings at my feeders this year. The worst year for them in a decade of feeding at my yard. So bad that I switched over from hot pepper to regular suet so that the squirrels would help run off the starlings. S. vulgaris indeed.
They love my next door neighbours’ redundant fireplace flue as well. (After catching fire shortly after installation the owner deemed it prudent to remove the wood burning fireplace.) However, the metal cap is a favourite drum for the red shafted flickers in the neighbourhood on Vancouver Island.
this was so good, L! once again, a species i get in my back yard in DROVES. everyones bringing the kids round. yellows and red shafted can interbreed too! thank you so much for all the hard work and good stuff.
I’d also like to add that they’re oddly not very aggressive for their size. They’re super timid at suet feeders, often acquiescing to grackles or starlings. I’ve noticed however that red-bellies often keep away from flickers, patiently waiting their turn for feeder time. Meanwhile you have red-bellies pecking at grackles or starlings. I guess it’s a size thing. Great video nonetheless!!
Hahah that's interesting about the red bellies not picking on the flickers like they do the starlings and others. You are right too, flickers do not seem very aggressive at all
Lived in Colorado years back near an open space and once in a while I wake up to these jokers pounding on the metal chimney announcing its territory and having its rolling ‘laugh’ afterwards. Always brought a smile to my face….till it knocked down the bird feeder scattering seeds everywhere in my garden…oh well…my fault putting it up there. Love your videos and Thank You for sharing😊
The photo by Larry Blew was especially awesome. It would make an excellent print. Always enjoy your videos. Your delivery is so calming, relaxing and pleasant!
It's a beautiful bird. I remember the first time I saw one at my birdfeeder in winter. I had to look it up in a book because I had never seen one before. They were very infrequent and only showed up during bitter cold spells when it was zero or below, rare in the Ohio Valley.
I live in a area that I see Flickers quit frequently and thank you Lesley for your insight on the Flickers world! I am a fan of yours! Keep your Bird World coming with great videos! I live in northwest Colorado were there is abundant variety of birds. 1
Although I grew up (in Minnesota) with yellow shafted flickersI have seen few in Colorado I have never witnessed red shafted flickers. I find them to be very wonderful birds.
Wow didn't know they eat ants particularly I imagine they need to eat lots and lots of them to make that work! I occasionally see Northern Flickers in our area but the encounters are kind of rare normally its in the woods not in our yard I wish people would stop using so many chemicals and hacking down plants the critters need places to live too. >_
Hear hear! Very true! Anything we can do to help! There’s a link below about putting up Northern Flicker bird boxes!!! I can’t wait to get one! Hopefully it will be up in time for the fall season!
I live in Tucson Arizona Sonoran desert 🏜️🌵☮️🌞🐟 yes I we have a flicker yellow flicker hairy and gila Flicker so this doesn't represent My home also narrator robotic Africa Ethiopia Addis Ababa Selassie I creation we are all African
I love Flickers, and am lucky enough to have some living in the woods near me. As always, your videos are informative, entertaining, and beautifully done!
Ahhhhhh, yes! I know that sound, so VERY well :) They're a beautiful plumage, and fun, backyard bird hunt with our 3 kids(ages 10, 6 and 3). Thank you, for another helpful video. Now, we need to figure out the if our Flickers have red or yellow :)
In our backyard in suburban Kansas, we frequently see Northern Flickers if we put out food they especially like--suet and mealworm cakes in particular. We have the yellow-shafted variety with the black "moustaches" on the male birds. They really are splendid in their polka-dotted waistcoats!
About fifty years ago I was lucky enough to rescue, raise, and release a nest of these amazing birds after a storm blew over their tree. Been a favorite ever since. Excellent video.
They've been frequenting our place lately (winter). My favorite thing is just how often they'll just sit and watch. Pretty chill, too -- the only bird I've seen [so far] successfully ignore blue jay hijinks. It's a nice contrasting energy to all the high-energy movement of other birds around them. Plus, the butt-scoot is too cute, and they do it so much.
I was just wondering who makes this call after hearing it today in Luskville, QC. You always have the answers to all of my birding questions! Thank you for this beautiful video. 🙂
What a great video Leslie… I learned something new so I will look at those birds to see the difference between them awesome my mother will be here with us visiting and we will binge watch some of your videos because she really loves you work… keep it up with the beautiful work!!! 11-06-2021have a blessed weekend!!!😃
It’s hard to pick a fave bird, but flickers are way up near the top of my list. A tough bird to photograph. I’ve got a few good shots when I know they’re at my suet, and I successfully sneak up, but I more often flush them even walking past the window. I’ve gone a mile or more in the central Oregon cascades wilderness off trail just trying to get a pic truly in the “wild”. You think they’re wary in town, they’re much more so in the wild.
So that's the bird who rat-a-tats on the metal cap of our furnace chimney in the early morning! 😲 Just saw one on our railing a few days ago. It's bird song was beautiful so I had to go and see what kind of bird it was. 😍Thank you, Lesley
