The Northern Flicker is a large sized woodpecker with mostly brown feathers. They have a spotted belly and patches of red on their face and their tail.
These birds like to stay in open wooded areas and will sometimes nest in city parks and suburbs. Unlike most woodpeckers, these birds spend most of their time foraging for food on the ground.
To attract a female, two males will sometimes compete in what is called a ‘fencing duel’ in the presence of a female. They will do this display whilst emitting a call that sounds like wicka.
These birds will reuse the cavities that they have excavated in previous years, although it is not known whether they return to the same mate every year.
These birds can be seen across the whole state of Texas, but they are not year-round residents. They are only seen in the state in winter as they prefer to be further south to deal with the colder months.
The most common sightings of this bird in the winter are in the central areas of the state.