Northern Flicker Bird Houses

Northern Flickers are found throughout the North American continent from below the tree line in Alaska and Canada to Mexico, Central America, and Cuba. Flickers live in a variety of woodland habitats. They have adapted well to human habitation and occur in urban, suburban, and rural areas, in parks, and near farms and woodlots. They nest near clearings or other open areas, at forest edges, and in forests interspersed with meadows, fields, and clear-cuts. Nests are also found in savannas and near swamps, ponds, and recently flooded areas containing snags. The Gilded Flicker subspecies nests in saguaro cacti. The northern populations of flickers return to their breeding ground from mid-March to early April. By late April and early May, pairs have bonded and begun to breed. Flicker houses should be mounted 6 to 30 feet high with the entrance hole facing southeast. These houses should be packed tightly with sawdust for the birds to excavate.