Northern Flicker Pulls a Buried Acorn From the Ground

I photographed this Northern Flicker in my yard here in Arkansas as it probed the ground with its bill. At first, I could not tell what it was after. Then I watched it work an acorn out of the ground, break it apart, and eat the kernel inside.

Northern Flicker holding an acorn it pulled from the ground in my yard — The flicker pulled a buried acorn from the ground and carried it forward before breaking it open.

Wildlife Notes

What grabbed my attention was how focused this bird was. The flicker kept probing the ground until it found something solid. After a few seconds, it pulled an acorn up from the soil and carried it forward a short distance.

It then set the acorn on the ground and struck it several times. Once the shell broke apart, it ate the kernel inside. I am sure this was an acorn that a squirrel had buried earlier, so it was fun to watch the flicker find a hidden food source and make use of it.

Northern Flicker eating the kernel from a cracked acorn on the ground — This photo shows the Northern Flicker eating the acorn kernel after breaking the shell apart.

Northern Flickers spend a lot of time feeding on the ground, which makes them a little different from many other woodpeckers. I usually think of woodpeckers working tree bark, but flickers often walk and probe in open areas while looking for food. Seeing one dig out an acorn was a good reminder that they can take advantage of more than one kind of meal.

Here is a blog post I wrote about a Northern Flicker foraging around a tree stump in my neighbors yard.

Northern Flicker walking and probing the ground after eating a buried acorn — After eating the acorn, the Northern Flicker kept walking through the yard and probing the ground for more food.

This was also a nice look at how patient wild birds can be when they know something is there. The flicker did not give up. It stayed with the spot, got the acorn loose, and then finished the job by cracking it open.

Photography Notes

I made these photos from my deck using a beanbag on the rail for support. That setup works well for birds in my yard because it gives me a steady rest without having to move around and risk spooking them.

The camera was a Canon EOS R5 Mark II with the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM at 800mm. My settings were f/10, 1/1000 second, ISO 3200, with 0 exposure compensation.

The long focal length helped isolate the bird against the soft background of pine needles, grass, and leaves. What makes this series work best is that each frame adds a different part of the story. One shows the acorn clearly, one shows the bird eating the kernel, and one shows the dirt left on its beak after the feeding was over.

Closing

I always enjoy it when a backyard bird does something I do not expect. Watching this Northern Flicker uncover a buried acorn, crack it open, and eat the kernel was a cool moment to witness. The dirt on its beak afterward was a small detail, but it helped tell the story of everything that had just happened.