Northern Flickers in Virginia
When flickers are present in Virginia, when they nest, which native Virginia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–8a yard.
- Status in Virginia
- Year-round resident
- Nesting window
- April–June
- Broods
- 1 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–8a
- Nest box
- 2 1/2 in hole, 7 × 7 in floor, 6–20 ft
When to expect flickers in Virginia
Northern Flickers live in Virginia all year. Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders. 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 subtropical in the east, cooler and snowier in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny highlands.
Nesting in Virginia
Across Virginia, 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.
Warm, humid summers; House Wrens and hummingbirds breed statewide.
- 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 Virginia plants that attract flickers
Of the regional native plants we track for Virginia, these 8 provide food or cover flickers use:
Fall fruit.
High-fat red berries and caterpillar host.
Winter fruit.
Nectar and small fruit.
Winter cover.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Feeding flickers through the Virginia 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 Virginia's winter: Moderate winters with periodic snow; purple finches and occasional northern finches visit feeders.
Frequently asked
Are flickers in Virginia year-round?
Yes. Northern Flickers are year-round residents in Virginia.
When do flickers nest in Virginia?
Nesting in Virginia typically runs April–June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–8 eggs, incubated for 11–13 days.
What native plants attract flickers in Virginia?
Flowering dogwood, Spicebush, Winterberry, Trumpet honeysuckle, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in Virginia 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 Virginia
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 — Virginia
- 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.