Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus), Agua Caliente Park, Pima County

This male Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker was found 3 December 2009 by Jean Scheibe Smith and was photographed by Andrew Core on 8 March 2010 at Agua Caliente Park in northeast Tucson.

Most of the Northern Flickers seen in Arizona that have yellower shafts are intergrades between the Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted forms. On this bird, however, the head pattern looks like a pure Yellow-shafted. This form is very rare in Arizona.

Note the gray crown, black malar, 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 patterns with gray in the cheek and brown in the crown.

08 March 2010, photo by Andrew Core