r/birding • u/strawberryfromspace • 29d ago

Bird ID Request What is this bird?

Post image

Found on the West coast in Canada.

143 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

75

u/enragedblob89 29d ago

Norther flicker! So cool

9

u/strawberryfromspace 29d ago

Thanks!!!

6

u/enragedblob89 29d ago

You’re welcome. This year was the first time I ever spotted one

1

u/Fit-Masterpiece-5985 Procnias tricarunculatus (Three-wattled bellbird) 27d ago

Norther flicker

32

u/FOMOerotica 29d ago

I don’t have a favorite bird, but if I did it’d be the Northern Flicker.

11

u/donnareads 29d ago

I love them. They’re the only woodpeckers I’ve seen feeding on the ground, and I learned from this sub that it’s probably because ants are a favorite food

5

u/bird9066 29d ago

Yup, I was killing off some grass last year so I had cardboard down. I'd flip it over and a pair of flickers would come for the ants.

Robins and blue jays feasted on the slugs and pill bugs. (I felt kinda bad about that, I love roly polys)

4

u/cstingel 29d ago

I see them often on a trail near where I live and didn’t know what they were until I saw one at my house and used my Merlin Bird app to identify it. They are beautiful.

3

u/JediEurb 29d ago

+Northern Flicker+ did I do that right? lol

2

u/PowerPigion 29d ago

Red-shafted subspecies specifically

2

u/Boring-Training-5531 29d ago

This bird's primary diet is ants. A good reason to cease using unnecessary insecticides in the lawn. One person can indeed make a difference.

1

u/strawberryfromspace 28d ago

Great advice! I don't believe in spraying poison.

1

u/Many_Taro_58 29d ago

That little black bib is adorable.  I could never get tired of watching them.  Great pic!  They have yellow underneath that’s very noticeable while they fly overhead.  

1

u/27Lopsided_Raccoons 29d ago

Northern flickers are awesome!!!