ALABAMA - The state bird of Alabama is the northern flicker, also known as a yellow-shafted flicker, yellowhammer, or even the yellowhammer itself. The bird feeds mainly on insects and fruits but also likes to eat ants. They even come out during winter to hunt for ants. It is unusual for a bird to eat ants, but this bird does!
The State Bird Of Alabama Is The Northern Flicker
The state bird of Alabama is the Northern Flicker or Yellowhammer, a member of the woodpecker family. It is monogamous and lives mainly on the ground. It feeds on insects, seeds, and nuts and prefers rotting trees over grassy areas. Its head is yellow, while its body is brown with black specks. It also eats poison ivy berries.
The common flicker nests in cavities of dead trees, such as fence posts and other hollow trees. The female lays six to ten white eggs. It can also be used as a nest box, a building's roof, or an earthen bank. The nestlings hatch three to six weeks after the eggs are laid, and both parents participate in raising and feeding their young.
The state bird of Alabama is the yellowhammer woodpecker, botanically known as Colaptes auratus. The woodpecker has been a symbol of Alabama for quite some time but is now associated with the South. It is also the only state in the United States to use a woodpecker as its state bird.
