Colaptes Auratus

Day 164: Male and female Northern Flickers are easy to tell apart. The males have "moustaches," i.e. a coloured patch on the cheek. However, where the Yellow-shafted and Red-shafted races intergrade, this marking may be either red or black. In 2019, I observed an intergrade in my yard. My attention was drawn by the distinctly yellow colour under the tail and the red spot on the nape of the neck, but the bird's malar patch was red rather than black which is typical of Yellow-shafted. Now, I again have an intergrade at the suet feeder. I doubt that it is the same bird since this one is obviously of breeding age (there is a courtship going on), and the life expectancy of Northern Flickers is seldom longer than 6-7 years for either race. The evidence that the male is an intergrade escaped my notice until I enlarged the image and saw the tiny red patch on the nape, a telltale which is not present in the Red-shafted type. Genetics in action! Right here in my own back yard!