Alabama State Bird

The state bird of Alabama is the Northern Flicker. This bird is also known as a yellowhammer woodpecker and the reason why Alabama is also called 'The Yellowhammer State.'

Alabama is the only state that has a woodpecker for its state bird. The Northern Flicker was chosen as the Alabama state bird in 1927, but has been considered a symbol of Alabama since the Civil War.

The Northern Flicker lives in Alabama year-round. Their numbers are declining though, mostly due to lost habitat and pesticides.

Northern Flickers like to eat insects on the ground. Their favorites are ants, termites, along with crickets, termites and grasshoppers, among others. They are different from other woodpeckers as they eat mostly on the ground. While they do eat insects, they will also eat nuts, seeds and berries.

These woodpeckers also stand upright, where most other woodpeckers do not. Northern Flickers don't visit bird feeders very often, but they will visit bird baths and they will use a nest box if you provide those. If you live where Northern Flickers live, you just may see one hopping around the back yard, grabbing up beetles and ants!

Northern Flickers drum on things to communicate or defend their territory.  They will even drum on metal to make as much noise as possible!