![]() They also eat other invertebrates like flies, butterflies, moths, and snails, and in the winter, will eat berries and seeds as well. ![]() There, it uses its long, slightly curved bill to probe into the soil and rotting wood, searching for ants, beetles, and grubs. Unlike other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker spends a lot of time on the ground. These beautiful birds are common, able to live in and around the edges of fields, woodlands, and forests. and yellow in the Eastern U.S., but both subspecies occur here in the Pacific Northwest. They have a long down-curved bill, strong claws, a long stiff tail that tapers to a point, and if it’s a male, red “mustaches.” When in flight, you may also notice their bright white rump, or the flash of colorful wings and tail feather shafts–which are red in the Western U.S. Northern Flicker’s are fairly large woodpeckers, mostly gray and brown with a black barred pattern on their back, a black crescent shaped “bib,” and black scalloped spots on their underside. It will likely be at least several weeks before we know whether this flicker will fully recover from her injuries. While some head and spinal trauma cases recover well, they often take a very long time to heal. Right now this includes supporting her nutritionally while she’s too weak to eat on her own, pain medication, fluids, and privacy so she is not experiencing additional fear and stress. Her prognosis is guarded because she continues to display symptoms of head trauma as well, but we are doing everything we can to make her recovery successful. Luckily we did not find any further damage to her shoulder, and she will likely recover from the soft tissue trauma. ![]() ![]() Birds that hit windows often have broken or dislocated coracoid and/or clavicle bones, which are bones in the chest that provide support to the shoulders and allow birds to fly. Radiographs allow us to make sure there are no internal fractures or injuries that we could not see or feel during our initial examination of the patient. Take Action Take Action Post news and reviews. ![]()
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