Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus), Santa Gertrudis Lane, Carmen, AZ, Santa Cruz County

This Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker was discovered by Clifford Cathers and John Harned and photographed by Clifford Cathers on 22 March 2012.  The bird apparently has been present since at least 01 March 2012 as we received an additional photo from that date by Claus Holzapfel.

Most of the Northern Flickers seen in Arizona that have yellower shafts are intergrades between the Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted forms. Pure Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers are rare in Arizona. 

Note the gray crown, black malar, brown face, red nape patch and yellow shafts to the  tail 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.  This bird shows no sign of intermediate characters.

22 March 2012, photo by Clifford Cathers

Photographed by Claus Holzapfel on 01 March 2012

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