Ross,

The way I understand it, what you have seen some call an intergrade
rather than a hybrid because "Red-shafted" and "Yellow-shafted" are
currently considered subspecies of NORTHERN FLICKER. However, in the
October 1997 issue of ABA's "Birding" magazine an article in Gleanings
from the Technical Literature section entitled Flicker Futures explores
this issue in some detail and refers to these birds as hybrids. Either
way, it happens and the combinations are surprisingly varied. I've seen
at least ten over the past six years in Yakima, Benton or Walla Walla
counties.
Dennis K Rockwell
Kennewick, Washington
denniskrockwell at juno.com

"Cynicism is what passes for insight among the mediocre." Joe Klein

On Tue, 2 Feb 1999 11:14:24 -0800 "Ross C." <rosseli at earthlink.net>
writes:
>
>
>Tweeters,
>
>I am a backyard birder mostly. For the past 2 weeks I have had a
>Northern
>Flicker coming to my seed feeders. I thought at first it was a "Red
>Shafted" due to its red mustache. But when it jumped from the ground
>to the
>feeder, it displayed yellow tail and wing linings. I have watched him
>several times with binoculars and I have seen very clearly the red
>mustache
>under the eyes, not on the nape, and the bright yellow, not orange or
>salmon, wing and tail linings. Could it be some kind of hybrid? The
>Gilded Flicker only lives in the SW desert area I thought. Please
>feel free
>to set me straight. Also saw a mature bald eagle fly past my porch
>yesterday. First time for that at this address.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Ross Cottrell
>Suquamish, WA
>rosseli at earthlink.net
>
>
>
>>
>
>

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