The Guatemalan flicker is a species of bird in the family Picidae, the woodpeckers. It is found in Middle America from southern Mexico to Nicaragua.
Region
Central American Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Mexico (Chiapas highlands) through the Guatemalan Highlands into El Salvador, Honduras, and north-central Nicaragua. It favors open pine–oak woodlands, forest edges, clearings, and agricultural mosaics with scattered trees. Often found in pastures and along roadsides where bare or short-grass ground makes ant colonies accessible. Uses riparian corridors and second-growth stands within montane regions. Generally absent from lowland humid forests.
Altitude Range
800–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Guatemalan flicker is a highland woodpecker that forages mostly on the ground for ants and termites, unlike many woodpeckers that feed primarily on tree trunks. It shows the classic flicker white rump in flight and a bold black crescent on the chest. Males typically have a red malar (mustache) stripe, which females lack. It nests in cavities it excavates in dead or decaying trees within pine–oak landscapes.
Temperament
wary but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding glide
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs; forms small loose groups outside the breeding season where food is concentrated. Monogamous pairs excavate nest cavities in dead trees or snags and defend territories around nesting sites. Both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a rolling series of loud wicka or kleeer notes, repeated in bursts across open hillsides. Also drums on resonant trunks or utility poles during the breeding season to advertise territory.
Plumage
Back and wings barred brown and black; underparts pale buff with bold black spots and a distinct black crescent on the upper breast. Rump conspicuously white in flight; tail mostly dark with pale shafts below. Crown and nape grayish-brown with warm tan tones; face gray with contrasting markings.
Diet
Feeds largely on ants and termites, including adults, larvae, and pupae, which it extracts with a long sticky tongue. Also takes beetles, caterpillars, and other ground-dwelling insects. Supplements its diet seasonally with fruits and berries, especially when insect activity is low.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the ground in open areas, along paths, and in short-grass pastures within pine–oak zones. Will also probe fallen logs, stumps, and occasionally tree trunks and branches near forest edges.
