Perch Supply
Vermont · Year-round resident

Northern Flickers in Vermont

When flickers are present in Vermont, when they nest, which native Vermont plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–5b yard.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Northern FlickerColaptes auratus
Status in Vermont
Year-round resident
Nesting window
May–June
Broods
1 per season
Hardiness zones
USDA 3b–5b
Nest box
2 1/2 in hole, 7 × 7 in floor, 6–20 ft

When to expect flickers in Vermont

Northern Flickers live in Vermont all year. Long, snowy winters. 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.

Humid continental, with the Green Mountains and the Champlain Valley.

Nesting in Vermont

Across Vermont, 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.

Short, mild summers.

  • 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 Vermont plants that attract flickers

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

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.

Winterberry
Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac
Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

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.

Feeding flickers through the Vermont 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 Vermont's winter: Long, snowy winters.

Full diet breakdown for flickers · Best feeder for flickers

Frequently asked

Are flickers in Vermont year-round?

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

When do flickers nest in Vermont?

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

What native plants attract flickers in Vermont?

Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in Vermont 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

AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon

Other backyard birds in Vermont

Northern CardinalEastern BluebirdBlack-capped ChickadeePurple MartinDowny WoodpeckerHairy WoodpeckerAmerican GoldfinchTufted TitmouseWhite-breasted NuthatchHouse WrenBlue JayHouse FinchPurple FinchRuby-throated HummingbirdMourning DoveAmerican RobinDark-eyed JuncoWhite-throated SparrowSong SparrowChipping SparrowPileated WoodpeckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerRed-breasted NuthatchBrown CreeperCommon GrackleRed-winged BlackbirdBaltimore OrioleRose-breasted GrosbeakEvening GrosbeakPine SiskinCommon RedpollIndigo BuntingEastern TowheeGray CatbirdBrown ThrasherCedar WaxwingTree SwallowBarn SwallowEastern PhoebeChimney SwiftYellow-rumped WarblerPine WarblerEastern Screech-OwlWood ThrushGreat Crested FlycatcherEastern KingbirdAmerican Tree SparrowHouse SparrowEuropean StarlingCanada Jay

Sources

  1. Northern Flicker — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Northern Flicker life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Northern Flicker — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
  4. NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
  5. eBird region overview and bar charts — Vermont
  6. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
  7. 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.