The Breeding Bird Survey provides the best data on the status of Northern Flicker in Canada, even though it provides limited coverage of northern forests, which limits its reliability to medium. The long-term national trend shows some inter-annual fluctuations, but overall an ongoing decline since 1970, which has been accelerating since around 2016. Cumulative declines have been greatest in the Prairies and in southern Ontario and Quebec, while the long-term trend has shown little change in the Maritimes and along the Pacific Coast.

The goal for Northern Flicker is to increase the population to the level it was at in the early 1970s, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. Trend data show that Northern Flicker is currently below its goal range, but has shown an increase over the past decade. Analysis considering the historical population loss and recent trend suggests that it is unlikely that the goal can be met by 2050, so the interim target is to reach 95% of the goal by 2050. Achieving this target, and ultimately reaching the national goal for this species, will require deliberate conservation action.