Winter range.—The red-shafted flicker is a resident species over most of its range, withdrawing from the more northern parts only during severe winters. At this season it is found north regularly to southern British Columbia (Comox, Okanagan, and Edgewood); northern Montana (Fortine and Great Falls); eastern Wyoming (Midwest); and rarely southeastern South Dakota (Yankton).
The range as outlined applies to the entire species, of which four subspecies or geographic races are now recognized. The typical form, known as the northwestern flicker (Colaptes c. cafer), is found in the northern Pacific coast regions from southeastern Alaska and western British Columbia south to northern California. The red-shafted flicker (C. c. collaris) occurs over all the remaining parts of the range except for certain mountainous areas in northern Baja California and Guadalupe Island, occupied by the San Pedro flicker (C. c. martirensis) and the now extinct Guadalupe flicker (C. c. rufipileus).
Migration.—Such migratory movements as are made by this species cannot be satisfactorily portrayed by the use of dates. The most conspicuous migration is vertical rather than lateral, for during fall and winter in the eastern part of the range there is a more or less well-defined movement east from the Rocky Mountain region onto the Great Plains. At these seasons the species may travel eastward to Iowa (Forest City, Boone, and Des Moines); Missouri (Kansas City); Arkansas (Van Buren); southeastern Oklahoma (Caddo); and eastern Texas (Gainesville, Waco, Somerset, and Brownsville).
Spring migration.—In the northern part of the breeding range, from which the species appears to withdraw in winter with more or less regularity, the following are early dates of spring arrival: South Dakota—White River, March 28; Yankton, April 1. North Dakota—McKenzie County, March 31; Arnegard, April 11. Alberta—Banff, April 3; Warner, April 24; Edmonton, April 29. Alaska—Kupreanof Island, April 12.
Fall migration.—Late dates of departure from northern areas are: Alaska—Wrangell, November 26. Alberta—Jasper, September 8; Henry House, September 22. North Dakota—Grafton, October 7 (one was collected in the Red River Valley on December 6, 1924). South Dakota—Faulkton, October 15.
Although red-shafted flickers have been banded in considerable numbers, the Biological Survey files do not contain any data indicative of an extensive flight from the point of banding. There are, however, many cases of recapture in succeeding seasons at the banding station.
Casual records.—Among the few records where this species has been collected or observed outside its normal range are the following: One was taken at Grafton, N. Dak., April 19, 1925, and another was shot near Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 30, 1904. There are two records for northern Alberta, one at Fort Chipewyan, May 21, 1893, and the other at Smiths Portage, June 8, 1908. Other records, some of which are from points farther east (as Minnesota), are for hybrids between this species and C. auratus.
- Egg dates.—British Columbia: 13 records, May 8 to June 7; 7 records, May 14 to 26, indicating the height of the season.
- California: 75 records, April 9 to July 2; 38 records, May 3 to 28.
- Colorado: 22 records, May 5 to July 1; 11 records, May 22 to 31.
- Guadalupe Island: 6 records, April 8 to June 8.
- Oregon: 33 records, May 3 to June 12; 17 records, May 12 to June 1.
- Washington: 17 records, April 29 to June 10; 9 records, May 12 to 24.