Inside Preparation Work:
- Read the Handbook of Nature Study lesson on flickers (Yellow-hammers) found on pages 77-80 (Lesson #18).
- You can also view the information on All About Birds website to learn more about the flicker: Northern Flicker. On that site, you can see there the map showing the distribution for the Northern Flicker. Make sure to listen to the sound of the flicker so you can listen for it in your area. I almost always hear a flicker before I see it (and then it is many times on the lawn looking for something to eat).
- There are also videos on AllAboutBirds.com: Flicker videos.
- Print page two of this pdf to read some tips for finding flickers: Living With Wildlife.
Outdoor Hour Time:
- Use the observation suggestions in the Handbook of Nature Study lesson to observe the flicker.
Describe the colors of the flicker. (see lesson for specifics).
Observe the beak size and shape.
Did you observe the flicker in flight? What colors did you see flash underneath?
- If you don’t have a flicker to observe, look for another tree clinging bird in your neighborhood.
- If you have an outdoor birdfeeder, sit quietly and watch any birds that come to eat during your outdoor time.
Follow-Up Activity:
- Create a nature journal entry for the flicker, including a sketch in color.
- Learn how to attract flickers to your yard on this site: Audubon.
- If you observed another bird for this challenge, you can use the notebook page in the ebook to record your observations.
- Advanced Study: Create a nesting box for Northern Flickers. Use the information on this website to learn about the decline of flickers in most of the United States and then create a nesting box with plans you can download.
- Advanced Study: View the birds on this page of All About Birds to pick another bird to compare to the Northern Flicker. Create a nature journal entry sharing those comparisons.
Join us for this series of challenges every week here on the Handbook of Nature Study.
If you want to purchase the Winter Nature Study Continues ebook so you can follow along with all the notebooking pages, coloring pages, and subject images, you can join the Ultimate or Journey Membership Levels. See the Join Us page for complete information. Also, you can view the Winter Nature Study Continues Ebook Announcement page for more details.