Finding an apparently pure Yellow-shafted Flicker is somewhat rare in
Washington. We do get a few every year, but intergrades between
Red-shafted and Yellow-shafteds are much, much more common. The
intergrades can have any mix of traits and some can closely resemble
Yellow-shafted Flickers. To confirm a Yellow-shafted Flicker one would
want to see the color of the shafts as well as the details of the head
pattern (cheek, nape, and malar color). Last year I helped write a brief
article about identifying our flickers for eBird Northwest that can be
found at this link:

http://ebird.org/content/nw/news/northern-flicker-red-shafted-yellow-shafted-intergrades-which-do-you-have/

Good birding,
Ryan Merrill
Seattle





---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Dee Dee <deedeeknit at yahoo.com>
> Date: Sat, Jan 21, 2017 at 5:49 PM
> Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Yellow-shafted Flickers
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>
>
> Glad to see Andy's question as I've been meaning to post a similar one
> myself!
> When the freezing weather started in December, I put out a suet feeder
> (normally do not put feeders out). For many weeks now, there have been at
> least 2 flickers with Yellow-shafted characteristics coming on a daily
> basis. One is more "intergrade", having bright orange feathers in the
> typical areas, a small, faint red mark on the nape, and no clear moustache
> marks, either red or black ... just sort of brownish-gray "shadow" hint
> where they'd normally be. The other has very definitely yellow coloration
> under the wings and tail, similar mustache area, but much stronger and
> clearly visible red on the nape.
> A week and a half ago or so, we enjoyed watching quite the romancing going
> on between the intergrade and a full Red-shafted which seemed to be female
> as there were no red moustache markings, over several days. Lots of what I
> call "bill dancing", "follow me, but not too close" chases around the
> shrubbery, and other behaviors.
> So I also am curious as to how common it is to see the Yellow-shafted
> Flickers in the Pugetopolis area? I am in suburban south Snohomish County,
> near Edmonds...a regular neighborhood about a block east of the Sound.
>
> Dee Warnock
> Edmonds, WA
>
> > Hi there. I've had a female flicker with yellow shafted feathers coming
> to my suet feeder in Snohomish daily and often for about two months now. I
> don't know how uncommon this is so I decided to post it here to get some
> feedback. Please let me know. I actually saw her once a year ago and
> noticed faint yellow feathers at first. Might have been different bird. The
> bird today looks just like an eastern bird if memory serves correctly. Any
> info would be helpful. Thanks.
> >
> > Andy Papadatos
> > Snohomish, WA
>
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