The Northern Flicker is a common bird in Canada's open forests and wooded urban areas. The species is monitored in Canada by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which suggests that there has been little overall change, or perhaps a small decrease, in abundance relative to the early 1970s. Because the BBS does not cover the northern portion of the species' breeding population, the reliability of this assessment is considered low. However, trends in several regional populations are showing decreases in abundance. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Although still common throughout its range, there is concern in some areas due to the decreasing abundance of this "keystone" primary excavator of holes, which are used by a variety of other species (Wiebe and Moore 2017). Causes of the Northern Flicker's decreasing populations are not well understood but may be related to loss of nesting snag trees as a result of forestry operations and urban development, competition from European Starling for nest holes and pesticide use in urban and agricultural areas (Wiebe and Moore 2017).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
