Fernandina's Flicker

Flashy flickers are few and far between

By Pat Leonard
Photos by Eric Liner

Fernandina's Flicker by Eric Liner (5)

Fernandina's Flicker (Colaptes fernandina) is one of the most endangered woodpeckers in the world. According to estimates, only 600 to 800 remain, living exclusively in isolated patches on Cuba. Although the population living in the Zapata Swamp region of Cuba numbers 250 individuals, the overall population is still declining.

According to Eduardo Iñigo-Elias, who led a team from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on a trip to Cuba in April 2007 (see For the Birds of Cuba in this issue of BirdScope), much more information is needed to develop a conservation plan for the species.

"We are just becoming aware that these birds like to use nest holes already started by West Indian Woodpeckers (Melanerpes superciliaris). They do the finishing work on it and move in," says Iñigo-Elias. "We're not sure whether they can also build their own cavities from scratch or if they would adapt to artificial cavities as more of the palm trees they like disappear."

The Fernandina's Flicker bears a superficial resemblance to North America's Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). Both species have heavy black barring on the back, but Fernandina's Flicker lacks a black bib on its breast, has no red "V" on the back of its head, and has horizontal bars on its breast instead of large spots. Like its northern cousin, Fernandina's Flicker often forages on the ground for ants and other insects.

The vocalizations of Fernandina's Flicker include a series of loud pic notes that are slower and lower-pitched than the Northern Flicker's, as well as typical repeated wicka sounds. Frequently it makes no sound at all.

Fernandina's Flickers nest in palm trees on dry, open savannas between March and June. They may form loose colonies, but on the whole they are not very social and often fight with other woodpeckers. During courtship, pairs engage in high-flying chases. They incubate their clutches of three to five eggs for about 18 days. The young are ready to head out on their own when they are 22 days old.

Loss of habitat from logging and farming are the biggest threats to the flicker's continued survival. The Cuban Parrot (Amazona leucocephala) favors the same palm trees as the flicker. To capture the parrots, trappers usually bring down the entire tree, thus destroying the flicker's nest site. There are non-human threats too. In this hurricane-prone part of the world, the palm trees can be toppled by storms. The West Indian Woodpecker is known to prey on the Fernandina's eggs and chicks. And an aggressive invasive plant called "marbu" is pushing out native species, including the flickers' favored palm trees.

Though some areas inhabited by the Fernandina's Flicker are protected by the Cuban government, others are not. A census of all the flickers on the island would help in the development of a conservation plan, Iñigo-Elias says. That plan will also benefit from ongoing work on the bird's breeding biology and ecology by Arturo Kirkconell, a doctoral candidate advised by Lab director John Fitzpatrick. Kirkconell plans to follow the flickers electronically to learn more about them. Lab experts hope to provide training on radio tracking and telemetry at a future workshop in Cuba.

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu