Gilded flicker Colaptes chrysoides

Identification Tips:

• Length: 10 inches
• Large woodpecker
• Pale brown cap and nape
• Pale gray face, chin, and throat
• Pale brown back and wings barred with black
• Black crescent on upper breast
• Beige breast and belly spotted heavily with black
• White rump (obvious in flight)
• Tail dark above
• Tail and underwings are entirely yellow below, and retricies and primaries have yellow shafts

Adult male:

• Red whisker

Similar species:

Could only be confused with other flickers. The Gilded Flicker has similar wing patterning to Yellow-shafted Flicker, but lacks the red at the rear of the head, has a pale brown cap and pale gray face, a paler brown back, and the male sports a red rather than black whisker. Similarly it differs from Red-shafted Flicker by its paler overall coloration and its yellow underwings and undertail.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.