Unusual Bird: Red-Shafted Northern Flicker with a black malar stripe
This bird has a black malar stripe typical of male yellow-shafted flickers. However, he has red feather shafts, and does NOT have any obvious red on his nape.
He is fond of apples.
Photo was taken in the Vancouver area on 17 December 2018.
Categories: Other
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One comment on “Unusual Bird: Red-Shafted Northern Flicker with a black malar stripe”
We have these fellows all around the High desert in southern California…one male in particular frequents our street in Hesperia, CA. You are most likely to hear a piercing loud Pserp! cry from him. When I mimic him he draws in closer to get a look at who’s violating his territory. I’ve seen them along the foothills of the Sierra Mtns. near us, but Not in the lower desert(we’re at about 3,000 ft. elevation). And Yes, they have a Black moustache!~ just like the one in the photo…and they have dusky rusty-red on the undersides of their wings and tail. I believe he has some red on the back of his head, I’ll try to get a snapshot, but they seem rather secretive for the most part.