Nebraska · Year-round resident

Northern Flickers in Nebraska

When flickers are present in Nebraska, when they nest, which native Nebraska plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4b–5b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Northern FlickerColaptes auratus

Status in Nebraska: Year-round resident
Nesting window: April–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4b–5b
Nest box: 2 1/2 in hole, 7 × 7 in floor, 6–20 ft

When to expect flickers in Nebraska

Northern Flickers live in Nebraska all year. Cold, windy winters; the Platte River corridor holds most wintering birds. 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, from tallgrass prairie in the east to the Sandhills and shortgrass in the west.

Nesting in Nebraska

Across Nebraska, flickers typically nest from April–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.

Hot summers with thunderstorms.

Have boxes cleaned and mounted before March — 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 Nebraska plants that attract flickers

Of the regional native plants we track for Nebraska, these 8 provide food or cover flickers use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Feeding flickers through the Nebraska 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 Nebraska's winter: Cold, windy winters; the Platte River corridor holds most wintering birds.

Full diet breakdown for flickers · Best feeder for flickers

Frequently asked

Are flickers in Nebraska year-round?

Yes. Northern Flickers are year-round residents in Nebraska.

When do flickers nest in Nebraska?

Nesting in Nebraska typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 11–13 days.

What native plants attract flickers in Nebraska?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry are native plants in Nebraska 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.

Other backyard birds in Nebraska

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Eastern Screech-Owl Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Black-billed Magpie Pygmy Nuthatch Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Black-headed Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

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.