Micheal Price responds to my posting:

>>I had the opportunity on Saturday to study a Northern Flicker at close
range.
>>This particular individual was notable because it had "red-shafts"
(expected)
>>but also a red nape and red "whiskers". This was in Magnolia, just outside
>>Discovery Park.
>>
>>Is this a hybrid "yellow/red shaft"?

>Yessir. Actually, they'd be intergrades rather than hybrids since the mix is

>within the species rather than between species. Hybrids showing marks of
>both types account for a large (~10-15%) number of our wintering flickers,
>and I'm sure if someone did the lab-work on their DNA, we'd see the
>percentage of wintering hybrids is a lot higher. The integrade zone for a
>lot of the birds we see here in winter is in NE BC.

I should add that "whiskers" is not an accurate term as this feature is
actually a "moustache". Also, Magnolia and Discovery Park are in Seattle, WA.

Thanks for the clarification, Micheal!

Tom Benedict
tbenz at halcyon.com