It’s Here!

Loess Hills Audubon is again partnering with Council Oak Coffee Supply for a certified bird-friendly limited edition coffee roast. Pre-order forms will be available at the October 3rd general meeting.

For a $20 donation to Loess Hills Audubon, you will receive a12-ounce bag of either whole bean or ground Tanager Drip: A Migratory Trip limited edition coffee.

This limited edition roast is only available through Loess Hills Audubon. Help support local and migratory birds and their habitats, your chapter and our activities with this fund-raising partnership with Council Oak Coffee Supply.

BIRD OF THE MONTH - Northern Flicker

The Northern Flickers are large, brown woodpeckers with a gentle expression and handsome black-scalloped plumage. On walks, don’t be surprised if you scare one up from the ground. It’s not where you’d expect to find a woodpecker, but flickers eat mainly ants and beetles, digging for them with their unusual, slightly curved bill.

When they fly you’ll see a flash of color in the wings – yellow if you’re in the East, red if you’re in the West – and a bright white flash on the rump. They fly in an up-and-down path using heavy flaps interspersed with glides, like many woodpeckers.

Northern Flickers make a loud, rolling rattle with a piercing tone that rises and falls in volume several times. The song lasts 7 or 8 seconds and is quite similar to the call of the Pileated Woodpecker. You’ll hear it in the spring and early summer, while pairs are forming and birds are establishing their territories. They make a loud single-note call, often sounding like kyeer, about a half-second long.

The Northern Flicker is one of the few North American woodpeckers that is strongly migratory. Flickers in the northern parts of their range move south for the winter, although a few individuals often stay rather far north.