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!