Northern (Yellow-shafted) flicker Colaptes auratus

Identification Tips:

• Large woodpecker
• Gray cap and nape
• Red crescent on nape
• Tan face, chin, and throat
• 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:

• Black whisker

Similar species:

Could only be confused with other flickers. Red-shafted Flicker is currently considered the same species but is easily identified by the red undersurface to its tail and flight feathers, its lack of a red mark at the rear of the head, and its brown crown and gray face. The Gilded Flicker has similar wing patterning, 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.