Sunday, December 29, 2013

Intergrade Northern Flicker

I have had two Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) coming to my feeders today.  One is a Red-shafted female, which is unusual for my area as I live in the eastern prairies.  The other flicker is this one.


This is a hybrid or intergrade male, with the grey-crowned head and facial colouring of a Yellow-shafted, but with the red moustache of a Red-shafted (black in a Yellow-shafted)



There's a hint of the Yellow-shafted's red crescent at the nape



 
And, for the heck of it....flicker tongue!

 
I heard this fella singing/calling from a neighbour's tree when I went outdoors earlier to fill feeders.  Very shortly, the Red-shafted female joined him. 


2 comments:

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    1. Having these anomalies show up at the feeders makes the winter a trifle more interesting. Thanks for viewing & commenting, Dianne.

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