Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted form); also called Yellow-shafted Flicker or Common Flicker

This patterned feather is consistent with a Northern Flicker, a large, brown, spotted woodpecker with a barred back and black chest crescent. In flight, its yellow or red wing and tail undersides flash conspicuously.

Orange to yellow-orange areas are crossed by black bars, with pale cream-yellow sections and dark tips. Yellow shafts and undersides are characteristic of the Yellow-shafted form; color may vary with feather position and wear.

Pennaceous barbs form a mostly coherent vane; the tip and lower edges appear frayed or broken. No aftershaft is clearly visible.

The narrow central rachis appears pale near the base and darker above; contrasting bands cross the vane, though damage obscures their full pattern.

Appears smooth and fairly stiff where intact, with matte-looking color and visibly ragged edges.

Probably wing or tail, suggested by the bold black barring and warm shaft/vane color; the image does not show enough intact outline to assign a precise position.

The orange-yellow coloration combined with strong black barring is suggestive of a Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker. The damaged tip limits identification of feather position and certainty.

Northern Flickers use open woodlands, forest edges, parks, and suburban areas, nesting in cavities and foraging mainly on the ground for ants.

Occurs widely across North America; many northern birds migrate south, while populations farther south are often resident. Yellow-shafted birds predominate in the east and north.

Flickers control ants and other invertebrates and excavate cavities later used by other wildlife. The species is widespread and considered of low conservation concern, though local habitat loss can affect populations.

Red-shafted Northern Flickers have salmon-red rather than yellow wing and tail shafts; other woodpecker feathers may be barred but usually lack this vivid shaft color and pattern.

Unlike many woodpeckers, flickers often feed on the ground, especially on ants. Their loud, ringing calls and undulating flight make them conspicuous.

Flicker feathers have appeared in Indigenous art and regalia, but possession or use of native bird feathers may be regulated. In the United States, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act generally prohibits possession without authorization.

Compare both sides and look for yellow shafts and matching barred feathers beneath trees or near feeding areas. Photograph with a scale and avoid collecting unless local regulations allow it.

Fair condition: tip and edges are broken or frayed; no clear evidence of active growth, oil, or parasites is visible.