Northern Flickers are members of the woodpecker family who spend the whole year in Central Florida. Still, I rarely see them unless I am at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
On a Sunday morning in early November, I came across more of these colorful woodpeckers than ever before. I saw them along the Black Point Wildlife Drive and the Scrub Ridge Trail.
The males have a little black moustache but both sexes have bright yellow under-wing colors that make them easy to spot if they’re flying around.
Of course, they weren’t the only birds I came across during my Sunday morning visit. Though Black Point was pretty quiet, there were a lot of little birds on the Scrub Ridge Trail – including a cousin of the Flickers.
Northern Flickers, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Male (right) and female Northern Flickers, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Male Northern Flicker, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Female Northern Flicker, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Palm Warbler with a little ant, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Reddish Egret, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.White Ibis, Little Blue Heron and Reddish Egret, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Osprey, Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Common Yellowthroat, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Northern Mockingbird, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Yellow-rumped Warbler, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Gray Catbird, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Carolina Wren, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Eastern Phoebe, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.Downy Woodpecker, Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, November 2025.
I saw my first Eastern Towhee at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge back in March, but I’ve seen many more send then at the UCF Arboretum. The scrub bush landscape there is perfect for these colorful orange and black birds.
