Alabama State Bird: Yellowhammer
Alabama’s State Bird is the Yellowhammer. It’s proper name is the Northern (common) Flicker part of the Woodpecker family. The back of the male is gray-brown with broken black waves. It’s belly is speckled and the males have a “mustache”. They also have a back”bib” on their chest. The underparts of the wing and tail are yellow.
The flicker nests in April and the female lays 6-10 eggs, one a day until done. The eggs incubate for 17 days and when the fledglings are about a month old they leave the nest. Both parents care for the young birds. They love to eat ants and their favorite berry comes from the poison ivy plant. The name Yellowhammer dates back to the Civil War when the confederate soldiers in Alabama wore bright yellow armbands.
***Flickers will nest in birdhouses!!! They need a 7X7 space that is 16 inches deep. The entrance needs to be 2.5 inches in diameter and about 2 inches from the top. The nest box needs to be 6-20 feet from the ground and the bottom should be covered with wood chips about 2 inches deep.
Build a birdhouse…Save a state bird!!
Enjoy the printable color sheet.
