19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A Flicker of Red

A Northern Flicker hides away from the afternoon sun in the Lakefront Nature Preserve in Cleveland, Ohio. Pictured here is a yellow-shafted male, identifiable by the black mustache/whisker next to its beak. Although a type of woodpecker, these are often found on the ground digging for ants using their special curved bill, lapping them up with their long barbed tongue. If you walk around the northern parks, you may just be surprised by one taking off from the ground near you!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D5600
Copyright: © Maitreya Naik