Colaptes auratus

The northern flicker is one of the largest woodpeckers in Utah at 12-14 inches with a 21-inch wingspan. It has a large chisellike bill used to probe mounds for ants and termites, its favorite food. The flicker can probe deep into anthills, pulling ants from their tunnels with its long barbed tongue.

There are two species of northern flicker in North America. The yellow-shafted species is found east of the Rocky Mountains and the red-shafted species west of the Rockies.

They are named as such because when flying, the yellow-shafted flicker's underwing feathers show yellow, while our Western red-shafted flicker's underwing is a salmon pink.

Flickers are often heard "drumming" in the spring, as they establish breeding territories. The male flicker will find a dead branch or other reverberating object - like the top of our wood-burning stove stack -to send out its breeding message.

The flicker is a cavity nester. You can attract a flicker to a nest box. These birds are fond of suet.

To identify the gender of these beautiful birds, look for the telltale red mustache or malar stripe, which the male displays on its cheek.

Both sexes show a black bib under the chin, with black spots dotting a white belly. The back and upper wing is brown with black barring. A white rump patch is visible in flight.

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* BILL FENIMORE is owner of the Layton Wild Bird Center (www.wildbird.com/layton).

Join the Wild Bird Center's free bird walk to Kays Creek at 8 a.m., Saturday.

The bird walk will be followed with a book signing of the newly released Backyard Birds of Utah by Bill Fenimore.