Yellow shafted flickers, although still a common species in the Eastern U.S., have suffered dramatic losses in recent decades. One source claims a 3.2 percent decline per year between 1966 and 1993. Another source claims a population decline of 52 percent from 1966 to 1991. These losses appear to be due to a lack of suitable nest sites. Being weak excavators, flickers need rotting wood of snags and dead limbs to carve out their nesting cavity. Flickers primarily forage on the ground in open areas for ants and other insects. This frequently places them in a starling infested area, while other woodpeckers can take refuge in forested areas.
It has been suggested that Northern flickers are adapting to starling competition by delaying nesting until the starlings have finished and no longer seek nest sites. This has not been my experience. Our starlings begin attempting to nest as early as ever. Woodpeckers are some of the earliest nesters on our property. However, our flickers' first nest sites have been usurped by starlings every time in the past two years. If a flicker pair continues to attempt to nest until mid-June, despite continual harrassment by starlings and the loss of two or more nesting cavities, they may succeed in raising a brood. However, these late broods are less productive than spring broods. Also, survival of fledglings from very late nestings may be decreased, although I have seen no data on this specifically for flickers. All species have evolved an optimum nesting time and dramatically delaying this time will likely have a detrimental effect.
Also, because flickers forage on the ground, in open areas, suburban flickers may be taking a hit from lawn insecticides. This, of course, has a simple fix - don't poison lawn insects, or, better yet, don't have a lawn.
Flicker and starling battles in the nest box
A single battle inside the nest box or cavity between one of the flicker pair and a starling seems to be the cause of nest site desertion. My limited observations suggest that flickers usually hold their own in battles with starlings outside the nest cavity. The flicker and starling clutch each other and fall to the ground, kicking and rolling about. When one has had enough, it simply breaks loose and flies off. But, if a flicker is trapped inside the cavity with a starling wishing to usurp the site, the flicker doesn't have a chance. Starlings are able to severely injure what would seem to be a formidable foe in the confines of the nest box or cavity. Flickers just don't seem to know how to use their powerful beaks in battle. This is likely because they didn't coevolve with starlings.
Recent starling and flicker competition in our yard
2001 A pair of flickers excavated and claimed a cavity in a sycamore in our front yard. Starlings frequently battled with the male flicker as the cavity neared completion. It was only after the male flicker was caught inside the cavity and severely beaten by a starling that the flicker pair gave up and deserted the nest. They then moved to an old flicker box behind the barn. Starlings were also challenging them at this site, but I didn't witness an in-box battle. However, the flickers did desert this site also, before eggs were laid, and moved to a new flicker box just outside my workshop in mid-June. Eggs were laid in this box, but, the pair, again, deserted this box on June 29, when a starling was observed raiding the box. With the flickers not guarding the box, both a starling and a house wren visited the box and destroyed the eggs.
2002 The flickers successfully raised a brood in the same box by the workshop this year. They began nesting in late May, when starling competition was still intense. I tried to monitor this nesting from the workshop and shot or trapped any starling that took an interest in the box. I did witness an in-box fight between the male flicker and a starling. The flicker finally flew from the box, barely able to fly, and didn't return until afternoon, the following day, even though the female called almost continually from the top of the box all morning. As soon as the male left the nest, following this fight, the starling hopped out and perched on top of the box, appearing tired but quite excited. Soon, both starlings were bringing nesting material to the box. I shot one and trapped the other in the box. Luckily the flickers didn't desert the box and successfully raised a brood. Several more starlings were shot on top of the box during this nesting. When the young were half grown, visiting starlings no longer entered the box.
2003 This year, a flicker pair again chose the nest box by the workshop. And, this time, the female was caught inside the box and savagely beaten by a starling. She emerged in great distress and managed to fly away, unable to gain over 4 feet in altitude. I never saw her again that season. The male, who had not witnessed this, called and tapped on the box roof for several days, then finally moved on.
2004 The flickers did not show an interest in the nest box this year. They visited the old cavity in the front yard sycamore, but didn't seem to claim any nest site. I didn't have time for adequate observation this year, but did notice starlings following them around a bit along the fence row trees as well as in the front yard sycamores. I don't think they nested at all in 2004.
2005 This year, two pairs of flickers nested in both the front yard sycamore cavity and the barnyard nest box. Starlings were managed by a combination of extra (decoy) nest boxes near the flicker boxes and continual trapping in the repeating starling traps. The goal was to always have an unoccupied nest box of equal value near the box used by a pair of flickers. During the nesting season, several pairs of starlings are visiting our yard daily, in search of a nest site. The starlings will claim a vacant box before doing battle with flickers. However, once starlings have claimed the decoy box, the next pair will attack the flickers before risking a battle with their own kind. This means starlings claiming the decoy box must be promptly trapped or shot. Also, the repeating traps on our barn have greatly reduced the starling pressure on our flicker boxes. Far more starlings have been caught in these 6 traps than have attempted to nest in the decoy boxes. And most of these were caught in the 4 traps mounted on the barn walls. I didn't use a decoy box in the sycamore tree. However, I did remove two pairs of starlings who claimed the flicker cavity in April. When the second pair of flickers began nesting in the sycamore cavity, no starlings were observed still searching for a nest site. A more detailed chronology of these two 2005 flicker nestings can be found on the 2005 flicker cam page.
Purchase a starling repeating nest box trap
2004 nest box trap research - trap modifications and locations
Providing snags for cavity nesters in your yard
The European starling in America
the pellet gun - a valuable tool in house sparrow and starling control
| barn owl | American kestrel | purple martin | barn swallow | Eastern bluebird |
| tufted titmouse | Eastern phoebe | yellow shafted flicker | tree swallow | chimney swift |
| house wren | big brown bat | Carolina wren | . | . |