How can you tell if a flicker is male or female?

The key difference is the color of the flight-feather shafts, which are either a lemon yellow or a rosy red. Yellow-shafted forms have tan faces and gray crowns, and a red crescent on the nape. Males have a black mustache stripe.

Do male and female Northern Flickers look the same?

Male Red-shafted Flickers have red moustaches; the moustaches of females are pale brown. Males have black moustaches; females have none. Both males and females have red nape crescents. Intergrades between the two forms are common, and some Red-shafted birds in Washington have red nape crescents.

Is a Northern Flicker rare?

Northern Flickers are widespread and common, but numbers decreased by almost 1.5% per year between 1966 and 2012, resulting in a cumulative decline of 49%, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Are Northern Flickers aggressive?

Males defend nesting territory with calling, drumming, and many aggressive displays, including swinging head back and forth, flicking wings open and spreading tail to show off bright underside. Courtship displays mostly similar. Nest site is cavity in tree or post, rarely in a burrow in the ground.

What bird has a red mark on back of head?

The northern flicker is all field marks with its bright yellow wing flashes, white rump, spotted breast, and barred back. It is not easily confused with any other bird. In the East, both sexes have a red crescent on the back of the head, but only males show a black “moustache” mark on the cheek.

What bird has red cheeks?

the cockatiel
With its bright yellow head, rosy-red cheeks, cuddly demeanor and cheerful chirp, the cockatiel is the epitome of sunshine on a cloudy day.

Do only male woodpeckers have red heads?

Variation in the head patterns of woodpeckers. Male and female Downy and Hairy woodpeckers show different patterns on the back of their heads, with males having red feathers and females lacking the red. What is not as well appreciated is that a great deal of variation exists among the individuals within a sex too.

Do flicker woodpeckers mate for life?

Family Life Flickers mate for life. Initially, the male does most of the cavity excavation but the female soon joins in. The female lays five to eight eggs, one egg per day. If the flickers have successfully laid eggs, starlings and squirrels probably can’t take over the nest.

Can I shoot a woodpecker destroying my house?

NOT SO FAST! If woodpeckers are damaging your home, you might be tempted to exterminate them. It is illegal to kill woodpeckers. You need a special permit to kill these federally protected creatures because they are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

How do you attract a northern flicker?

Offering suet, corn, sunflower seeds, grapes, or peanuts at your feeders or hung on large trees will be attractive to flickers. Providing nest boxes in your wooded backyard is another way to attract them.

Are flickers related to woodpeckers?

Flickers are members of the woodpecker family. They are named for the brilliant yellow or red undersides of their wings and tails that cause the birds to resemble flickering flames when they fly.

What preys on the Northern Flicker?

Young in the nest are vulnerable to nest predators such as raccoons, squirrels, and snakes. Once they reach adulthood, northern flickers are preyed upon by several birds of prey that specialize on hunting birds. In eastern North America this includes Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks.

What is a northern flicker?

Many flickers are not seen well enough to determine which category they fall in and thus should be reported simply as “Northern Flicker.” This would include birds that are only heard or seen at a distance, as well as most birds that are seen flight, even if the color of the underwings is seen.

What is a red shafted flicker?

Individuals in the West have red shafts to the flight feathers and tail that are usually obvious in flight. A main food source is ants, and flickers often forage on the ground for them. Female “Red-shafted” form has a gray face and lacks both a red crescent on the nape and a mustache stripe. This video has no audio.

What does a male intergrade flicker look like?

A male intergrade flicker showing brown face, red nape crescent, and yellow shafts as in Yellow-shafted, but a red malar as in Red-shafted. October 2008, Pacific County, WA. Photo by Ryan Merrill.

What is the most common type of flicker?

The Red-shafted Flicker is the most common and expected subspecies, but intergrades can also be common at times, mainly during the fall, winter, and spring. Apparently ‘pure’ Yellow-shafted Flickers are rare but should be looked for and occur annually. Why should eBirders bother to report flickers by race (i.e., subspecies) or intergrade?