Gilded Flicker

Overview

The gilded flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) is a large woodpecker native to the desert regions of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Mean length of 29 cm (11 in), classifying it as a large woodpecker.
• Distinctive yellow underwings, which differentiate it from the northern flicker that has red underwings.

Habitat

Found in the Sonoran, Yuma, and eastern Colorado Desert regions of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including most of the Baja California peninsula. They most frequently build nests in saguaros, excavating holes near the top, though they occasionally use desert dry washes with Frémont's cottonwoods or willows.

Diet

The diet consists primarily of ants, beetles, and termites, which are foraged on the ground by picking up insects or probing anthills with their tongues. They also feed on fruits and berries.

Did you know?

Saguaros secrete sap that hardens into a waterproof structure known as a 'saguaro boot' to defend against water loss into the nesting cavities excavated by these birds. Gilded flickers occasionally hybridise with northern flickers in the narrow zones where their ranges and habitats overlap.