Flickers in the western hemisphere...

                                                                               Photo by BarrytheBirder

    Northern Red-shafted Flicker (pictured above)

There are two main Flicker species regularly found in North America: the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) and the Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chtysoides).   

The Northern Flicker is the most common and widespread species, found across the entire North American continent from Alaska down to Central America.

It is split into two major regional forms that frequently hybridize (interbreed) where their ranges meet.

The Yellow-shafted Flicker dominates the eastern half of North America and northern boreal forests, while the Red-shafted Flicker dominates western North America.

Meanwhile, The Gilded Flicker is a separate, genetically distinct species restricted mainly to the arid southwestern United States (such as Arizona) and northwestern Mexico. 

There are 4 primary flicker species commonly recognized in South America, alongside a few closely related woodpecker species in the same genus that are sometimes referred to as green or forest flickers.

In the world, there are 13 extant (living) species of birds in the woodpecker genus (Colaptes), which comprises the birds commonly known as flickers.

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BarrytheBirder