Northern Flicker, Colaptes Auratus

Northern Flicker. Red-Shafted Flicker. Colaptes Auratus. Call 'em what you will. In my book, they're "Polka-dotted 'Peckers," and I love 'em, except for when they're drilling on the posts holding up my carport to remind me that I haven't put a suet cake out lately. The Golden-Shafted race lives on the other side of the Cascades, but where the ranges intersect, they occasionally interbreed. I had a cross here a few years ago which threw me for a loop. It didn't look right, and it took some research to figure out why it didn't fit the profile for Red-Shafted. Crosses play hob with identification! But this one is the classic figure of a male with its red "moustaches." The red feather shafts which once led scientists to classify it as a different species are clearly visible along the margin of the wing.

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!

Polkadot 'Pecker

Day 32: I should probably just say, "My 'pecker has polkadots," and then leave you wondering for an hour or two before posting the photo, but I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea. It's true, though. My 'peckers (and I have at least two) have lovely polkadots. This one also has red whiskers, indicating that the bird..."BIRD!" I said...is male. Females' faces are plain. That said, I live in an area where there is some intergrading between our dominant western race of Northern Flicker and the eastern version which sports black whiskers and yellow feather shafts (as opposed to red) on the tail and wing. At least once, I have seen a black-whiskered bird at the feeder flying off with a flash of red, the telltale of a crossbreed. When intergrading occurs, it can make identification challenging. Fortunately, it's fairly clearcut with the polkadotted 'peckers.

An Unusual Sighting

Day 162: Documentation. It's all about documentation. Okay, it's not the best photo because it was shot at an angle through double-pane glass, but it captures distinctive features which indicate that this bird is the product of intergrading, i.e., a genetic crossover between Western and Eastern races of Northern Flicker. The yellow underside of the tailfeathers could possibly be ascribed to colour variation in either subspecies; however, the red patch at the nape of the neck is only found in male Yellow-Shafted Flicker, but Yellow-Shafted (Colaptes auratus auratus) should have a black malar (cheek). Red malars are a characteristic of Red-Shafted (Colaptes auratus cafer).

Desperately Seeking Protein

Day 116: A faint, dry sound registered subliminally, drawing my eyes to the big Doug fir at the corner of my front yard. I waited, standing as still as it is humanly possible to stand, and then in the deep shadow at the base of the tree, somewhat obscured by the branches of a minor shrub, a "piece of bark" moved, its toenails making the scratchy noise as it progressed around the tree. For the next ten minutes, a Northern Flicker (Red-Shafted Flicker) diligently probed the deep crevices in Big Doug's hide, always staying in the shadow. Then at last, the bird moved into the single brush-free spot of sun three feet up from the tree's base, rapping a few times, then gobbling down the insects raised by the vibration. At times, the Flicker's entire head would disappear from sight as it sought bugs deeper in the cracks. I was amazed that the bird's skull would fit into such a narrow opening. I wonder what's hatching, that it draws two insectivorous bird species to my yard on a biting-cold February day? It must be good, because the Thrushes were back in force again today after a 17-degree night, desperately seeking protein in the leaf litter.

Northern Flicker, Colaptes Auratus

Day 86: While walking through the snowy, dim stillness which is Longmire's wintertime Trail of the Shadows, a small movement drew my eye to the base of a tree and caused me to stop my walk until I could identify its source. It was no easy task, the light dimmed by overhanging cedar boughs, but when a few seconds later, a bit of brown-flecked "bark" moved again, it revealed itself to be a Northern Flicker, foraging in a cavity. Intent on its business, the bird plunged its head time and again into the hole, emerging after several probing thrusts with its beak to look 'round for potential predators. It must have felt I wasn't dangerous, because it allowed me to move closer until I had a clear view through the lens, although it continued to perform its safety checks between bouts of searching in the hollow until I moved on.

The bird we call "Northern Flicker" is a member of the woodpecker family. Colaptes auratus is further broken down into "Red-Shafted" and "Yellow-Shafted" members (western and eastern variants respectively). Our Red-Shafted Flicker males can be told from the females of the species by the bright red malar ("cheek") marking. In flight, these birds reveal reddish underwings and the distinctive "beat" which gives them the name "Flicker."