Common Flicker (Colaptes auratus)
We
had a family of three chicks raised in the wall of one of
the buildings, and as the babies got older, we were
entertained by all three of the chicks sticking their heads
out of the hole to see what was going on around them! It
was not unusual to see all three of them with their heads
stuck out! Mom and Dad would hunt food and wait until no
one was around before entering the nest.
There
are three populations of these birds Yellow-shafted,
Red-shafted and Gilded. They were previously recognized as
separate species. This bird is of the Red-shafted race, and
grew to be as large as a blue-jay. They are woodpeckers, as
you can tell by the whole they made in the building! I
decided to not fix the hole, in the hopes that they decide
to use the nest again. They are insect eaters and so are
very welcome!