User:JosiahrWILD/sandbox

Wintering and migration
Northern flickers are partial migrants, in which some southern populations are completely non-migratory. Those that do migrate tend to begin their spring migration towards the beginning of April and make their return between September and October. Individuals that breed farther north travel greater distances than their migratory southern conspecifics, often resulting in the convergence of northern and southern populations at wintering sites. This discrepancy likely arises from the Northern flickers’ ground foraging behavior, in which prey can only be found in snow-free locations. Furthermore, females tend to winter farther north than males, suggesting that parental investment and division of reproductive labour are key factors in determining individual migratory behavior. Rising temperatures resulting from anthropogenic climate change have been shown to trigger migration prematurely in Northern flickers, as well as many other migratory bird species as evidenced in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Northern flickers are divided into eastern and western populations by the Rocky Mountains, with each population having a unique migratory pathway. Individuals breeding in the prairie provinces of Canada, the Dakotas, and surrounding U.S. states winter in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Those breeding in southern Ontario and Michigan to New England winter from east Texas to the Carolinas, whereas those breeding in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest winter from central California to Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

During migration, Northern flickers may form flocks. Additionally, the species’ propensity for roosting in cavities is not mitigated during migration. On average, 75% of individuals spend their nights in a cavity during migration, even in completely unknown locations. Northern flickers demonstrate a high rate of nest cavity re-use, as opposed to excavating new cavities each year. Furthermore, breeding individuals exhibit intense site fidelity, with pairs consistently returning to the specific nest cavity they used in the previous year.