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Platte River Status: Our most abundant woodpecker, the northern flicker is a common permanent resident throughout the study area. Tout (1947) considered the yellow-shafted race a common summer resident, but rare in midwinter in Lincoln County. Conversely, during winter, the red-shafted race was much more abundant than the yellow-shafted race there. Rosche (1979) stated that this species was a permanent resident in the lower North Platte River Valley.

Breeding Range: A common and widely distributed nesting species in the Platte River Valley and Eastern Plain. Fairly common the Dissected Plain (although nearly absent from the southern Lincoln County portion of that region), and on the Western Plain. Uncommon and local in the Sandhills where limited by the availability of trees suitable for nest placement.

Breeding Population: The population was estimated at 47,000 breeding pairs in 1979-1980. Northern flicker ranked 19th in total abundance among all breeding bird species present, and made up 1.6% of the total bird numbers.

Habitat: We found the highest mean breeding densities in shelterbelts (137.5 pairs/km²), followed by residential (15.8 pairs/km²), lowland forest (11.6 pairs/km²), river channel island (0.5 pairs/km²), upland prairie (0.5 pairs/km²), wet prairie (0.2 pairs/km²), and alfalfa (<0.2 pairs/km²). Rising (1974) recorded this species commonly in western Kansas where nests are placed in dead branches of cottonwood and ash trees. Faanes (1982) reported that northern flicker was a fairly common nesting species in shelterbelts and tree groves around farmsites on a central North Dakota study area. Johnsgard (1979) reported that northern flicker occupies many habitat types in the Great Plains including relatively open woodlands, orchards, woodlots, and residential areas. In northern Illinois, highest nesting densities occurred in hedgerows (785 birds/km²) and 54 birds/km² in savanna (Graber and Graber 1963).

Effect of Habitat Alteration: Northern flicker has benefited from the establishment of wooded vegetation within the Platte River channels, and from planting shelterbelts in the uplands. Movement of both races across the Great Plains, and the subsequent degree of hybridization that has been observed, was accelerated by the presence of wooded vegetation along east-west oriented streams (Short 1965).

Nesting Data: Lingle observed an adult female enter a nest cavity at the Mormon Island Crane Meadows, Hall County, on 11 May 1984. We found active nests in Merrick County (Sec. 19, T. 12 N. - R. 7 W.) on 2 May 1979, and in Gosper County (Sec. 12, T. 8 N. - R. 21 W.) on 3 May 1979. Kansas egg dates extend from 11 April to 10 June (Johnsgard 1979).