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Northern Flicker


Northern Flicker
Photo Information
Copyright: jeanpaul Bolduc (jeanpaul) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2046 W: 99 N: 3277] (13851)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-19
Categories: Birds
Camera: Pentax *ist D, 70-300mm f4-5.6
Exposure: f/4.2, 1/180 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-21 16:01
Viewed: 739
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Status: Common resident.
Listen:


General Description

North American RangeNorthern Flickers are unusual among North American woodpeckers in that their general coloration is brown rather than black and white. Their backs are brown with black barring, and their chests and bellies are light tan with prominent clear black spots. Their tails are black, and they have white rumps. There is a broad, black band across the upper chest. Two forms occur in Washington: the Red-shafted, and less commonly, the Yellow-shafted. The flight feathers of Red-shafted Flickers have reddish-orange shafts, and their wings and tail are reddish-orange below. Red-shafted Flickers have gray heads, throats, and napes, and their foreheads are brown. Male Red-shafted Flickers have red moustaches; the moustaches of females are pale brown. Typically, neither sex has a colored nape crescent (but see below). The flight feathers of Yellow-shafted Flickers have yellow shafts, and their wings and tail are yellow below. The heads of Yellow-shafted Flickers are gray above, and their faces and throats are 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.


Habitat
Northern Flickers can be found throughout most wooded regions of North America, and they are familiar birds in most suburban environments. They need some open area and do not nest in the middle of dense forests, but they breed in most other forest types. Outside of the breeding season, they also frequent other open areas, including suburban lawns and parks, grassland, sagebrush, and even sand dunes.

Behavior
Unlike most other woodpeckers, Northern Flickers are principally ground feeders, though they also forage on tree trunks and limbs. They have a strongly undulating flight pattern, and they can be easily identified in flight by this pattern and their prominent white rumps. Their whinny call sounds somewhat like laughter. They also give a distinctive call that is often transcribed as klee-yer.

Diet
Northern Flickers feed principally on ants but also take other insects and some fruit, seeds, and berries.

Nesting
Northern Flickers typically excavate nesting cavities in dead or diseased pine, cottonwood, or willow trees. Males do most of the excavation with some help from females. Both incubate the 5 to 8 eggs for about 11 days, then brood the newly hatched young for about 4 days more. Both sexes feed the young, which leave the nest after 24 to 27 days. The parents continue to feed the young once they fledge, and soon the young begin to follow the adults to foraging sites and gather their own food.

Migration Status
Northern Flickers are partially migratory. Red-shafted Flickers tend to over-winter on their breeding grounds or migrate shorter distances than Yellow-shafted Flickers, but both tend to withdraw from higher elevations and winter in the western Washington lowlands. Yellow-shafted Flickers, which are strongly migratory, become more common in Washington, especially along the outer coast, in winter. This increase is probably due largely to Yellow-shafted Flickers that have migrated to Washington from Alaska and the northern Rocky Mountains.
writerscrawlz, CeltickRanger, eqshannon, MartinL, Art_R, ramthakur, maurydv, eng55, Alex99, Argus, smitha, Juyona, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

The Northern Flicker is one of my favorite birds. Not only are they fast, but they are incredibly shy - another enduring quality that makes me go after them. I like how well this one blends in. Lovely catchlight you caught. He looks slightly out of focus, but you know, I need glasses, so it could be me, hehehehe.

bonjour Jean Paul

superbe image du Pic flamboyant dans une pose au sol,
excellent POV au niveau du sujet, également excellent
DOF et cadrage, belles couleurs aux tons chaudes,
excellente netteté et détails, TFS

Asbed

Le le nord de Scintille est un de mes oiseaux préférés comme c'est un autre. Je souvent pense à cet oiseau comme un oiseau de chute. Vous avez le temps de chute au printemps quelques temps ? C'est en effet un oiseau d'été aussi !
Bob

Jean Paul,

That is a very nicely composed image of this woodpecker. I like the POV and blurred background. The color combination works really well as well. Very nicely done.

Best Regards,

Martin

  • Great 
  • Art_R Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 201 W: 16 N: 483] (1995)
  • [2008-05-21 18:11]

Hi Jean Paul , very nice image of this female northern flicker , very hard to get close to these when they are on the ground, or in the trees for that matter :-)

A good composition with nice point of view and warm colors. TFS

regards
Art

Great specimen shot here. Nicely done jeanpaul. Trevor

Bonjour Jean-Paul,
ah ben celui la je ne le connaissais pas, il a une robe magnifique, bravo pour cette très bonne photo et merci du partage
amicalement,
Pat

Bellissima immagine, ottimo POV basso e molto bella la composizione con la posa in mezzo all'erba che inizia il risveglio primaverile, buona nitidezza, molto belli i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 474 W: 3 N: 474] (1475)
  • [2008-05-22 1:02]

Hi Jean Paul,
Very nice capture of this colurful bird.POV,details,BG and composition are wonderful.
Thanks for posting.

Hi JP,
We keep on losing contact frequently now. Maybe because I too am a bit irregular on TN and miss out a lot of work on it.
Thanks for your kind words on my Sunbird picture.
Your picture of this beautiful bird is well taken with superb details and colours on the subject.
I like that spot of red on the bird's neck.
TFS and regards,
Ram
:)

Bonsoir Jean-Paul,
Ils sont tellement intéressants comme oiseaux. Je les vois et les entend dans ma région mais ils ne sont jamais assez calmes pour que je puisse les photographier. C'est une belle capture d'un oiseau particulier! Merci,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1812 W: 29 N: 5246] (17188)
  • [2008-05-22 21:03]

Hi Jeanpaul,
Wonderful shot of this cute little Flicker with lovely colours and details on its plumage. Superb lighting and I like its pose here among the golden grasses. Very nicely chosen low POV and a marvellous composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3174 W: 154 N: 4796] (15481)
  • [2008-05-22 22:19]

Hi Jean-Paul.
What a cute bird you have pictured. I like low POV and excellent framing and composition of the image, very good selection of the DOF and level of sharpness of bird image. Coloration of the flicker is reflected and presented perfectly. My compliments and best wishes.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2770 W: 151 N: 7984] (24857)
  • [2008-05-23 6:33]

Bonjour Jean-Paul,
A fine capture of the Northern Flicker, a beautiful species of woodpecker that you portray with fine sharpness, from a good low POV and in a nice pose on the ground with an excllent OOF natural BG.
TFS this beauty,
Amicalement,
Ivan

Hello Jeanpaul,
Very beautiful photo of this Northern Flicker in splendid warm colours. Excellent POV, environment and BG. Good composition.
Regards,
Peter

Hello Jeanpaul,
Excellent capture of the Northern Flicker.Excellent POV, DOF and beautiful colours.Nice composition too.
Thanks for the share,
Smitha.

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2108 W: 6 N: 2116] (13589)
  • [2008-05-27 5:57]

Hola amigo,
colorida ave y excelente ambiente,
original pose y pov.
buen trabajo Jeanpaul.
pl.

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 366 W: 0 N: 373] (1488)
  • [2008-08-23 7:51]

Hello Jeanpaul,
a lovely cute bird in its cute position. great clarity and sharpness with the yes seen full.great composition with the blurred background.
Nice and pleasant shot.

regards,
Foozi

Bonsoir Jean-Paul,

Ce pic flambloyant est impressionnant. La prise de vue permet de distinguer avec précision les détails et les couleurs de l'oiseau. Le sujet est bien cadré. Les couleurs sont rehaussées par la qualité de la lumière. Bonne soirée.

Pierre

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