| Gilded Flicker | |
|---|---|
 male | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Piciformes |
| Family | Picidae |
| Genus | Colaptes |
| Species | C. chrysoides |
Formerly considered a subspecies of the Northern Flicker, this woodpecker can be distinguished from its bright cinnamon cap and yellow underwings. It is closely tied to giant cactuses when nesting, but forages mainly on the ground.
Taxonomy[]
Four subspecies of the Gilded Flicker are recognized:
- Cape Gilded Flicker (C. c. chrysoides) - resides in southern Baja California.
- Brown Gilded Flicker (C. c. brunnescens) - resides in northern and central Baja California.
- Mearns' Gilded Flicker (C. c. mearnsi) - resides in extreme southeastern California to Arizona and northwestern Mexico.
- Mexican Gilded Flicker (C. c. tenebrosus) - resides in northwestern Mexico from northern Sonora to northern Sinaloa.
The Gilded Flicker was first described by Malherbe in 1852. Until 1995, the American Ornithologists Union considered the gilded flicker a subspecies of the Northern Flicker. Due to the limited hybridization of the Gilded Flicker with the Northern Flicker, it was classified as its own species..
Appearance[]
The Gilded Flicker is a fairly large woodpecker measuring 11 inches (28 inches) in length, 3.3-4.5 oz (92-129 g) in weight, and possess a wingspan of 19.7-20.5 in (50-52 cm). The body is stout with a long, pointed bill that curves slightly downward. A cinnamon cap sits atop the grey face, chin, and throat. The pale brown upperparts are barred black. A large black crescent runs across the chest above the spotted belly. In flight, bright yellow underwings and tail are visible. Males have a red mustache, while females have none.
Habitat[]
Distribution
Gilded Flickers are often found among giant cacti beside water sources. In the United States, Gilded Flickers occur in the Sonoran Desert with giant cactus species such as the giant saguaro, at elevations ranging from 200 to 3,200 feet (with exceptional records to 4,600 feet). In parts of Mexico, they use areas with Mexican giant cardon cactus. They will also utilize desert washes with willow or cottonwood. Gilded Flickers do not migrate.
Life History[]
Diet[]
Gilded Flickers feed primarily on ants and their larvae which are captured on the ground, using their long tongues to lap them up. They may forage for several hours at a single ant colony. They will also eat beetles and other insects. In winter when insects are scarce, seeds and fruits, especially the fruit of large cacti are incorporated into the diet of the Gilded Flicker. Occasionally, they will catch insects in midair.
Behavior[]
Males will defend their territory by performing a precise stylized “fencing match" that includes calling, drumming, swinging head back and forth, flicking wings open and spreading tail to show off bright underside. If a female appears to watch them, the display intensifies, though neither male will attack the other. This display is also used during courtships, with mated pairs performing similar displays periodically.
Nesting[]
Pair at nesting site
Being a non-migratory species, nesting season starts early in the year; from April to May. Nest cavities are typically excavated in a giant cactus and much less frequently in dead cottonwood, willow, or honey mesquite trees. They are often oriented toward the north-northwest and are normally about 20 feet above the ground. No lining is added to the nest. The entrance hole averages about 2.8 inches in diameter, while the cavity itself averages 5 inches across and 14.8 inches deep. The role of excavating the nest is shared by both the male and female, with the male doing the majority of the work. Nest cavity construction takes weeks to complete.
The female will lay 4-5 white eggs 1-1.2 inches (2.59-3.14 cm) in length and 0.8-0.9 inches (2-2.22 cm) in width. Both sexes incubate the eggs, with the male incubating at night and part of day, for about 11 days. The hatchlings are naked and helpless after hatching and are fed by both parents through regurgitation. Nestlings fledge at 21 and 27 days old and will continue to be fed by parents shortly after. Later, offspring may follow their parents to good foraging sites. Gilded Flickers produce one brood per year, but will re-nest if first attempt fails.
Sometimes, Gilded Flickers will interbreed with Red-shafted Northern Flickers, producing a summer population that is nearly all hybrids.
Sounds[]
Gilded Flickers may emit a long call that contains a burst of high-pitched notes on the same pitch with each note ascending at the end, a softer wick-a-wick-a-wick-a, a high, emphatic peah, and a burry vocalization, resembling a scolding wren call, that is sometimes given in flight. Like most woodpeckers, Gilded Flickers drum to mark territory or nesting sites. Drums of the Gilded Flicker are very short and rapid. Flickers of both sexes make tapping sounds while excavating their nest cavity, and some of these appear to be ritualized displays rather than related to the excavation work.
Conservation[]
Gilded Flicker populations have been stable or slightly declining since 1968, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 770,000 individuals. Gilded Flicker rates a 14 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and is on the Yellow Watch List for species with declining populations. At the current rate of decline, the species will lose another half of its breeding population by 2053.
Natural threats to the Gilded Flicker include hawks, rodents, lizards, snakes, crows, ravens, as well as raccoons that prey on their hatchlings. Observations of flicker response to predators is rare. European Starlings are common nest cavity competitors with flickers but possibly not Gilded Flickers. Artificial threats include massive losses of desert habitat to development, especially in the twentieth century, when saguaro and riparian forests were removed to build and expand cities. Brush fires that kill saguaros also reduce habitat for Gilded Flickers.