Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)


From Fidalgo Island Crossings, the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is among the commonest birds visiting the feeders, and one of my favorites.  In the spring, they love to drum on the metal chimney cap of my fireplace.  ...at 5:30 in the morning.  A lack of moustache mark in this bird identifies a female, but other markers are problematic.  In the West, our resident Northerns are the Red-shafted race, but Yellow-shafteds are known to visit Washington in the fall and winter.  She appears to have yellow-shafted tail feathers, but lacks the red nape mark of the Yellow-shafteds.  My best guess is she is a juvenile Red-shafted Northern Flicker who has not yet acquired adult coloration, or a hybrid intergrade.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone with a better idea.

According to iBird, a group of flickers is called a "guttering," "menorah," or a "Peterson" of Flickers.  I have experienced Petersons of up to seven birds at a time at the feeders.