Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus), Pioneer Valley, Coconino County

This Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker was photographed by Pam Koch on 29 October 2009 in her backyard in Pioneer Valley near Flagstaff. 

Most of the Northern Flickers seen in Arizona that have yellower shafts are intergrades between the Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted forms. This bird however shows no sign of being an intergrade. The head pattern looks like a pure Yellow-shafted. This form is very rare in Arizona.

Note the gray crown, brown face, red nape patch and yellow shafts to the flight feathers that distinguish this form from the more common Red-Shafted form of Northern Flicker. Intergrades usually have an intermediate face patters with gray in the cheek and brown in the crown. 

29 October 2009, photo by Pam Koch