Gilded flicker Facts for Kids

The gilded flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) is a type of large woodpecker. It's about 29 centimeters (11 inches) long. You can find this bird in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. This includes areas like the Sonoran, Yuma, and eastern Colorado Deserts. It also lives in most of Baja California. A cool way to tell a gilded flicker apart is by its bright golden-yellow underwings. Another woodpecker, the northern flicker, lives in the same area but has red underwings.

Quick facts for kids Gilded flicker

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Colaptes
Species:	chrysoides

Range of the gilded flicker

Types of Gilded Flickers
Where Gilded Flickers Live and Nest
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Types of Gilded Flickers

Did you know that animals can have different types within the same species? These are called subspecies. They are slightly different groups that live in different places. There are four known subspecies of the gilded flicker:

The Cape gilded flicker (C. c. chrysoides) lives in the southern part of Baja California.
The brown gilded flicker (C. c. brunnescens) lives in northern and central Baja California.
Mearns' gilded flicker (C. c. mearnsi) can be found from southeastern California to Arizona and northwestern Mexico.
The Mexican gilded flicker (C. c. tenebrosus) lives in northwestern Mexico, from northern Sonora to northern Sinaloa.

Where Gilded Flickers Live and Nest

Gilded flickers love to build their homes in saguaro cacti. They dig a nest hole closer to the top of the cactus than to the ground. When the cactus is poked, it protects itself by making a special sap. This sap hardens into a strong, waterproof structure. People call this structure a "saguaro boot." It helps keep the nest safe and dry.

Interestingly, northern flickers usually build their nests in trees near rivers. They almost never use saguaro cacti. Sometimes, gilded flickers and northern flickers meet and have babies together. This happens in the few places where their homes overlap.