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The northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a large woodpecker, about 30 cm long. It is found over much of North America, but in three colour variants. The desert form of this bird has a golden-yellow underside to the wings and tail (seen when in flight) and a red moustache (only in the male). These birds are common in parts of the Sonoran Desert where there are large columnar cacti (saguaro, cardon) in which they make nests in the stems. They spend much of their time foraging for insects on the ground, but also will eat cactus fruits. They are one of the few birds that regularly eat ants. The flicker is larger than the Gila woodpecker (another common bird that excavates nesting holes in the large, columnar cacti) and its nest holes are also larger, going deep into the cactus tissue and sometimes causing significant damage to the cactus.
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