Northern Flickers in Minnesota
When flickers are present in Minnesota, when they nest, which native Minnesota plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–5b yard.
- Status in Minnesota
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- May–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3a–5b
- Nest box
- 2 1/2 in hole, 7 × 7 in floor, 6–20 ft
- Range note
- Most leave in winter.
When to expect flickers in Minnesota
Northern Flickers live in Minnesota all year — most leave in winter. Temperatures below 0°F are routine — heated water, suet and roost boxes are survival aids, not extras. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward poison ivy, dogwood, sumac and bayberry fruit.
Continental, with very cold winters and warm summers; prairie in the west, boreal forest in the northeast.
Nesting in Minnesota
Across Minnesota, flickers typically nest from May–June. Nest site: excavated cavity in dead or soft trees and utility poles. Females lay 5–8 eggs, incubate for 11–13 days, and young leave the nest after 24–27 days.
A short, intense breeding season; most nesting runs May through July.
- Have boxes cleaned and mounted before April — flickers begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
- Use a 2 1/2 in entrance on a 7 × 7 in floor, mounted 6–20 ft.
- Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
- Clean out old nests after each brood and again after June.
Native Minnesota plants that attract flickers
Of the regional native plants we track for Minnesota, these 8 provide food or cover flickers use:
White fruit and red-stemmed winter cover.
Early-summer fruit.
Acorns and bark insects.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Feeding flickers through the Minnesota year
Flickers feed on lawns more than any other woodpecker and will use nest boxes packed with wood chips.
- Best foods: Suet, Peanut hearts.
- In Minnesota's winter: Temperatures below 0°F are routine — heated water, suet and roost boxes are survival aids, not extras.
Frequently asked
Are flickers in Minnesota year-round?
Yes. Northern Flickers are year-round residents in Minnesota. Most leave in winter.
When do flickers nest in Minnesota?
Nesting in Minnesota typically runs May–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 11–13 days.
What native plants attract flickers in Minnesota?
Red-osier dogwood, Serviceberry, Bur oak, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in Minnesota that provide food or cover for flickers.
What size birdhouse hole do flickers need?
2 1/2 in, with a floor of 7 × 7 in mounted 6–20 ft.
Northern Flickers in other regions
Other backyard birds in Minnesota
Sources
- Northern Flicker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Flicker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Flicker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Minnesota
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.