Perch Supply
Nest box specification

Northern Flicker house dimensions

The Northern Flicker nests in excavated cavity in dead or soft trees and utility poles A box built to its measurements — and no bigger — is what makes it choose yours.

Woodpeckers (Picidae)Northern FlickerColaptes auratus

The specifications

Entrance hole
2 1/2 in
Floor (inside)
7 × 7 in
Mounting height
6–20 ft
Bird size
11–12.2 in, 3.9–5.6 oz
Clutch
5–8 eggs
Incubation
11–13 days
Time in nest
24–27 days
Broods
1 per season

Build and mounting checklist

  • Drill the entrance to exactly 2 1/2 in — oversized holes let in European Starlings and larger predators.
  • No outside perch: cavity nesters don't need one, and it helps House Sparrows and predators.
  • Unpainted interior, 3/4-inch untreated wood (cedar or pine) or poly-lumber for insulation.
  • Drainage holes in the floor corners and ventilation gaps under the roof.
  • A side or front panel that opens so you can monitor and clean the box.
  • Rough or grooved inner front wall so nestlings can climb out.
  • Pole mount with a stovepipe or cone baffle to stop snakes, raccoons and cats.

When to put up a Northern Flicker box, by state

Boxes should be up and clean a month before local nesting starts. Dates shift with latitude:

PlaceUp byNestingClean out
AlabamaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
ArizonaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
CaliforniaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
FloridaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
GeorgiaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
LouisianaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
MississippiFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
South CarolinaFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
TexasFebruaryMarch–JuneJuly
ArkansasMarchApril–JuneJuly
ColoradoMarchApril–JuneJuly
ConnecticutMarchApril–JuneJuly
DelawareMarchApril–JuneJuly
IdahoMarchApril–JuneJuly
IllinoisMarchApril–JuneJuly
IndianaMarchApril–JuneJuly
IowaMarchApril–JuneJuly
KansasMarchApril–JuneJuly
KentuckyMarchApril–JuneJuly
MarylandMarchApril–JuneJuly
MassachusettsMarchApril–JuneJuly
MichiganMarchApril–JuneJuly
MissouriMarchApril–JuneJuly
NebraskaMarchApril–JuneJuly
NevadaMarchApril–JuneJuly
New JerseyMarchApril–JuneJuly
New MexicoMarchApril–JuneJuly
New YorkMarchApril–JuneJuly
North CarolinaMarchApril–JuneJuly
OhioMarchApril–JuneJuly
OklahomaMarchApril–JuneJuly
OregonMarchApril–JuneJuly
PennsylvaniaMarchApril–JuneJuly
Rhode IslandMarchApril–JuneJuly
South DakotaMarchApril–JuneJuly
TennesseeMarchApril–JuneJuly
UtahMarchApril–JuneJuly
VirginiaMarchApril–JuneJuly
WashingtonMarchApril–JuneJuly
West VirginiaMarchApril–JuneJuly
AlaskaAprilMay–JuneJuly
AlbertaAprilMay–JuneJuly
British ColumbiaAprilMay–JuneJuly
MaineAprilMay–JuneJuly
ManitobaAprilMay–JuneJuly
MinnesotaAprilMay–JuneJuly
MontanaAprilMay–JuneJuly
New BrunswickAprilMay–JuneJuly
New HampshireAprilMay–JuneJuly
Newfoundland and LabradorAprilMay–JuneJuly
North DakotaAprilMay–JuneJuly
Northwest TerritoriesAprilMay–JuneJuly
Nova ScotiaAprilMay–JuneJuly
OntarioAprilMay–JuneJuly
Prince Edward IslandAprilMay–JuneJuly
QuebecAprilMay–JuneJuly
SaskatchewanAprilMay–JuneJuly
VermontAprilMay–JuneJuly
WisconsinAprilMay–JuneJuly
WyomingAprilMay–JuneJuly
YukonAprilMay–JuneJuly

Full Northern Flicker species guide →

Frequently asked

What size hole does a Northern Flicker need?

2 1/2 in. A hole cut to this size admits the Northern Flicker (11–12.2 in) while keeping out larger competitors.

How big should a Northern Flicker house be inside?

A floor of 7 × 7 in. The Northern Flicker lays 5–8 eggs, so the floor has to hold the full clutch plus growing nestlings.

How high should I mount a Northern Flicker box?

6–20 ft. Mount on a pole with a predator baffle where possible rather than a tree or fence.

How long does a Northern Flicker use the box?

Incubation takes 11–13 days and the young stay in the nest 24–27 days. Broods per year: 1 per season.

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

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.