Mountainous regions make up the majority of Alabama’s landmass, contributing to the state’s rich cultural and geographic diversity. It is the 24th most populated state and the 30th biggest state in terms of land area.
In 1927, the northern flicker, popularly known as the yellowhammer (Colaptes auratus), was selected to represent the state of Alabama as the official bird. When referring to the look of this Alabama woodpecker, the bird is also known as the yellow-shafted flicker. This name refers to the woodpecker’s tail feathers.
Why is the northern flicker the state bird for Alabama?
Alabama is commonly referred to as “the yellowhammer state,” which is a reference to the yellowhammer, which is the official bird of Alabama. The migrating bird made the state one of its stops throughout its journey across the country. The statute that designated it as the official state bird did not provide any explanation for its selection.
In Alabama’s code from 1975, chapter 2 of title 1, section 11-2-7 says, “The bird generally called the yellow-hammer is thus recognized as the state bird.” (The designation of the yellow-hammer as the state bird).
When did Alabama make the northern flicker its state bird?
The northern flicker has been recognized as Alabama’s state bird ever since the end of the Civil War, which is unusual for woodpeckers, which are more commonly associated with other states.
On September 6, 1927, Governor Bibb Graves signed into law a piece of legislation that had been initially proposed in the legislative session of 1927 by Representative Thomas E. Martin of Montgomery County. In the same year, it was decided that the goldenrod would be the state flower, and it would remain so until 1959, when it was replaced by the camellia.
These birds, like with other songbirds, are afforded protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Despite this, there has been a continued decrease in their numbers. The widespread use of pesticides on lawns and the elimination of natural habitats across their range are the primary contributors to this problem.
What does the Alabama state bird look like?
The back of the male common flicker has a grayish-brown tint, and the body feathers of this bird have broken black bars on them. It is possible to make see the golden shafts of the flying feathers on its wings. It has a two-pointed tail that is mostly black in color, while the patch on its rump is colored white.
The rear of its neck and the nape of its grey crown both have a strip of crimson color on them. You will see a black pattern that resembles a moustache and bib just below its chin and on its throat. It has a reddish hue to its cheeks. On the underside of its body, you can notice that it has a creamy hue with irregular black markings.
On the underside of its wings, there is a bright yellow color that can be noticed. The female differs from the male in that she does not have a ‘mustache.’ The legs of both the male and female are grey, the bill is dark grey, and the eyes are dark brown. They are equipped with pointed talons that allow them to readily sit on vertical tree trunks.
The length of the northern flicker, measured from head to tail, can range anywhere from 4.7 to 5.5 inches, while its wingspan can reach anywhere from 17 to 21 inches. These birds may grow to a length of 11 to 14 inches and weigh anything from 3 to 6 ounces, making them somewhat larger than the majority of songbirds.
What type of foods do Northern Flickers eat?
The yellowhammer approaches its tasks in a manner that is rather unlike to that of other woodpeckers. It feeds on a variety of insects, nuts, and berries that it finds while foraging on the ground. It consumes, among other things, ants, caterpillars, grasshoppers, termites, snails, spiders, nuts, seeds, and berries as part of its normal diet. It particularly appreciates the berries of the poison ivy plant, which is completely harmless to it. The airborne woodpecker has the ability to capture insects while they are in flight. Because of its long tongue and barbs, the bird is able to capture a large number of ants at once.
In addition to this, it will perch on top of an anthill, allowing the ants to climb up its wings. Scientists have established a number of hypotheses on the purpose of this behavior. One of these hypotheses is that the ants emit an acid that prevents parasites from attempting to survive on the bird.
What is their behavior?
The northern flicker may be found in every state in the United States. There are two subspecies of the Northern Flicker: the red-shafted, which is found in the western region of the United States, and the yellow-shafted, which is found in the eastern section of the nation. It has been shown that these two subspecies can, on sometimes, mate with one another.
Yellowhammers are busy throughout the day, performing songs while perched on top of bushes. One of these songs is called “a little bit of bread and no cheese.” When they are not mating, these birds forage for food on the ground together in large groups. It’s possible that there are hundreds of birds in a flock, including finches, buntings, and other species.
These birds are able to converse with one another through their vocalizations. Yellowhammers acquire these bird cries, which are spoken in a dialect unique to their location, from their dads. Yellowhammers who live in states other than Alabama have a dialect that is distinct from the one spoken in Alabama. These bird sounds may contain song versions and individual cries, but there are also certain words that are always used, such as “zit” for communicating with another bird, “see” for sounding an alarm, and a trilled “tirrr” as the bird is flying.
The male’s proficiency with language is an asset in the pursuit of a suitable spouse. The females of the species choose males that have the most varied singing and speaking repertoires to mate with, while the silver-tongued speakers mate with females who speak the same dialect as them.
Woodpeckers that are only partially migratory build their nests in trees in open places. They select trees with soft wood that are either dying or already dead. Their feeble beaks are able to carve a nest out of the pliable wood. It is possible for a yellowhammer to make its home in an empty burrow or hole that was previously created by another species of bird. They can also create a nest by pecking it into a fence post, an earthen bank, or a nest box that is stored in the yard of a kind neighbor.
Although the northern flicker may be seen in Alabama throughout the year, the population of this bird has decreased owing to the increased use of pesticides and the loss of eastern forest habitat.
How many baby Northern Flickers are there?
The female will lay anywhere from five to eight eggs, and she will lay one egg every day. After the eggs have been placed, the parents will never leave the nest alone again. If the flickers are successful in laying eggs, then it is unlikely that the starlings or squirrels will be able to take over the nest. The eggs are incubated and the young are fed by both the males and the females.
Do northern flickers live in groups?
The yellowhammer couples are monogamous, so they set up a formal breeding territory and protect it. The male sets up his territory along the edge of a forest or a hedge. Even though the male serenades his future bride from a bush or tree in April or May, the courtship can last until July or August.
The yellowhammer also acts like a man in order to attract females. As he runs toward her, he lifts his wings. Once he has won her over, she will start building their nest. Even though they live in trees, these birds build their “love nests” on or near the ground. They hide this nest in a bush or a tuft of grass. It could be against a bank as well. The female uses stalks, dry grass, and leaves from plants, and then she mixes in some animal hair. She lines the inside of the nest with fine grass.
The birds then have babies. She will lay three to five eggs in a nest. The mother bird incubates these white eggs with dark, fine lines for 12 to 14 days. Once the chicks hatch, the two adult birds take care of them until they can fly, which takes about two weeks. The adults in the nest feed the babies. The yellowhammers are very sexual, so they have two or three broods a year. At one year old, their chicks are old enough to breed, so they leave the nest to find a mate and start making woodpecker babies.
Not every bird in the United States lives in Alabama. The Carolina wren travels as far as Oklahoma, but it doesn’t go to the Panhandle area. It mostly lives in the eastern US.
What is the average lifespan of a Northern Flicker?
The Northern Flicker with yellow shafts has a lifetime of 9 years and 2 months, whereas the Northern Flicker with red shafts has a lifespan of 6 years and 8 months. This is the greatest longevity ever documented for either species. The average lifespan of a Northern Flicker is probably much less than this; some may only live for a few years.
