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ABA Online Bird Photo Quiz 32
ANSWER
Nearly everyone who answered this quiz recognized that this was a flicker. Depending on how long you've been birding, you may remember when there were three species of flickers in the ABA area, or when there was only one. Now the AOU and ABA recognize two species: Gilded Flicker and Northern Flicker.
The Northern Flicker is a variable species with several subspecies that fall into two well-defined subspecies groups, Red-shafted Flicker and Yellow-shafted Flicker. These two subspecies groups interbreed widely in the Great Plains; and their offspring, as well as their offspring's offspring, are exceedingly variable.
Even with a cursory view of this bird, we can tell that it isn't right for the Yellow-shafted group of Northern Flickers. Male Yellow-shafted Flickers have a black malar, while females have a uniform brown face. But, the underside of this bird's tail is also not red, as we would expect with the Red-shafted group of Northern Flickers.
This may have us thinking about Gilded Flicker, of which males have a red malar and yellowish underwing and tail base. Looking more closely at the red malar, however, we see that it is shorter than we would expect on Gilded Flicker. Furthermore, the spots on the flanks are very round, not oval or bar shaped as on Gilded Flicker. Looking closely at the crown, we see that gray coloring creeps up onto at least the sides of the crown behind the eye. On Gilded Flicker the crown and nape are uniformly brown, and the underside of the tail is more orange than yellow in color.
This leaves us with an intergrade Red-shafted x Yellow-shafted Flicker (intergrades occur between subspecies, hybrids between species), or more simply a Northern Flicker. Intergrades are quite variable and some may approach Gilded Flicker in appearance. Most intergrades show at least some of the features on this bird-intermediate shaft and tail color, intermediate crown and nape pattern, intermediate or "wrong" face pattern.
This Northern Flicker was photographed by the author at Leoti, Kansas in late December 2004.
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The following people (listed by submission date beginning with the earliest) submitted correct answers for the November Bird Photo Quiz – Northern Flicker:
- Tony Clements, Vienna, VA
- Kyle Horner, Guelph, Ontario
- Kyle Carlsen, Vincent, OH
- Debbie Statz, Greenville, NC
- Kevin Hill, Seattle, WA
- Lori Fujimoto, Colorado Springs, CO
- Maria Fowler, Glendale, AZ
- Ali Rodgers, Corrales, NM
- Tracy McCarthey, Tempe, Arizona
- Kevin Kerr, Guelph, Ont
- Stephen Joly, Kamloops, BC
- David Hollie, Ringgold, GA
- Robert Furrow, Cambridge, MA
- Chad Soard, cincinnati, ohio
- Matt Anthony, Bel Air, Maryland
- Ryan Dudragne, Saskatoon, SK
- David M. Liebers, Niskayuna, NY
- Jim Kopitzke, Mesa AZ
- Alex Vinokur, Casselberry, FL
- Maggie MacPherson, Guelph, Ontario
- Mary Chambers, Davis, CA
- Don Burt, Anaheim, CA
- Rich Swartzentruber, Salem, Oregon
- Thomas Lally, Chicago, IL
- Bertram.E.B.Bree, Jersey island, Channel Isles near France
- Larry Ridenhour, Boise, Idaho
- Bill Maynard, Colorado Springs, CO
- John Kuenzli, Columbus, OH
- Will Richardson, Truckee, CA
- Jacob Saucier, Baton Rouge, LA
- Philip Kline, Tucson, AZ
- Richard Garrigues, San Antonio de Belen, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Kai Reed, North Egremont, MA
- Louie Toth, Fairview Hgts IL
- Lee Barnes, Seattle, WA
- Sean Prockter, Waterville, ME
- Bruce Dugger, Albany, OR
- Carol Perry, Las Vegas, NV
- Marc Ribaudo, Woodbridge, VA
- Robin LaFortune, Delano, MN
- Gary Bird, Maxeys, GA
- Melissa Hein, North Branch, MN
- Nick Sly, Ithaca, NY
- Travis Rosenberry, Boise, Idaho
- Casey Tucker, Columbus, OH
- Manuel Grosselet, Mexico
- Lauren Tompkins, Kneeland, CA
- Jared Caster, NEW YORK
- Luke Seitz, Falmouth, Maine
- Enrique Zamora, Ensenada, Baja California
- Eric Skrzypczak, Gaithersburg, MD
- Mark Brown, Dalmatia, Pennsylvania
- rob young, alexandria, VA
- Claude Girard, St-Michel. P.Q.
- Luke Buckardt, Deerfield, IL
- Sarge Salman, Fort Collins, CO
- Chuck Carlson, Fort Peck MT
- Marcelo Brongo, Barcelona, Spain
- Wayne Meyer, Denison, TX
- Thomas Riecke, Dallas, TX
- John Bissell, Grimes, Iowa
- Steve Scholnick, St Louis, MO
- Aaron Hulsey, Smiths Grove, Ky
- Brad Wilkinson, Tallmadge, Ohio
- Ronald P.Ciejka, Three Rivers Ma
- Aaron Brees, Des Moines, IA
- Gail King, Brandon, FL
- Al Mercer, Marietta, GA
- Nels F. Thompson, Owatonna, MN
- Jim Gilbert, Bernardsville, NJ
- George Cresswell, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Brian E. Small, Los Angeles, CA
- Jim Hoover, Jefferson Hills, PA
- Marcia Huff, Holland, MI
- TJ Hathcock, Cleveland, OK
- Nick Anich, Ashland, WI
- Alan J. Knue, Seattle, WA
- Cynthia Plank, Portland, Oregon
- Gabe Johnson, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- Betsy Beneke, Perry, Utah
- Larry Kline, Woodbridge, VA
- Jason Giovannone, Columbia, SC
- Arun Bose, Richmond, VA
- Michael S. Levy, Centereach, N.Y.
- Mark Stevenson, Tucson, AZ
- guthrie andres, washington ct
- Daniele Mitchell, Ottawa, Ontario
- Yvonne Buszek, Commerce Twp, MI
- Gary W. Potter, Sanger, California
- Christiana Wood, Suitland, MD
- Krista S., Albuquerque, NM
- Daniel Floyd, Fort Worth, TX
- Christopher Colby, York, PA
- Linda McElvany, Williston, Vermont
- Anthony H. Bledsoe, Pittsburgh, PA
- Peter Dedicoat, Stafford, UK
- Connie Kogler, CO
- Will Miller, boise,ID
- David Woodson, Livingston, TX
- Roberto Cavalieros, Brooklyn, NY
- liz day, indy, IN
- Sherry Punak-Murphy, Shilo, Manitoba, Canada
- John Kuenzli, Columbus, OH
- Zack Barrow, McDonald, TN
- Larry Lade, Saint Joseph, MO
- Jess, Sanford, NC
- Andre Moncrieff, Berrien Springs, MI
- Andy Bankert, Melbourne Beach, FL
- Liis Veelma, Winnipeg, MB
- Nikolas Kotovich, Great Barrington, Mass
- Tom Dozet, Reno, NV
- Jim Hulsey, Henderson, NV
- Jim Wood, Saskatoon, SK
- Manolo Mondejar, Taos,NM
- Jacob Socolar, Chapel Hill, NC
- Matthew Schneider, Silverton, OR
- Katherine Raspet, NY
- gerard koehn, colorado springs colorado
- Michael Hilchey, ABQ, NM
- Andrés Alfaro, Kansas City, MO
- Olivier Barden, Quebec City, Qc
- Steven Mitten, Belize City, Belize
- crystal malick, dalmatia,pa
- Tammy White, Aliso Viejo, CA
- Nathan Miller, Kingston, On
- Kevin M Kincaid, Indianapolis, IN
- Francisco Martinez, Chicago, IL
- Andrew Keaveney, Guelph, Ontario
- Carolyn Vance, Los Alamitos, CA
- Jill Kaminski, Naples, FL
- Graham Etherington, Norwich, UK
- Vicky Townsend, Alexandria, MN
- Toni Wolfson, Scotts Valley, Ca
- alice jackson, columbus, OH
- Mick Brown, Middleburg, PA
- Benjamin S. Wechsler, Snow Hill, Maryland
- Tim Snieder, Sarnia, Ontario
- David S Crowe, Charlotte, NC
- Francesc Jutglar, Cardedeu, Spain
- Sarah DeViney, Jonesboro, AR
- Petro Pynnönen, Helsinki, Finland
- Roxanne Clark, Eugene, OR
- James McKay, Mesa, AZ
- Phillip J. Kenny, Vienna, VA
- Patricia Topp, HIghland, Indiana
- Oscar Johnson, Santa Barbara, California
- José Luis Copete, Barcelona, Spain
- DanWalker, Canyon, Texas
- Robert Lengacher, Tallahassee, FL
- Jennie MacFarland, Tucson, AZ
- Stefan Calabria, Northfield, MA
- Chris Warren, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Karen Carlsen, Lakewood, CO
- Ben Coulter, Erie, PA
- John Habig, Carlsile, OH
- James McRacken, Stanley, NC
- Amanda Auger, Portland, Oregon
- Dean Nicholson, Cranbrook, B.C.
- Tim Perry, Patchogue
- Melissa Wilder, Apopka, FL
- Joan Campbell, Marinette, WI
- Carrie Braden, Portage la Prairie, MB
- Sam Naifeh, San Mateo CA
- Vincent Koczurik, Jersey City, NJ
- Jennifer Michaels, Tucker, GA
- Joan Weber, Mason,IL
- Bobby Fokidis, Tempe, Arizona
- Kendall Green, Brooklyn, NY
- Rachel King, Brooklyn NY
- Ken Hardy, Colorado Springs
- Larry Usselman, Harrisburg, PA
- Barb Robertson, Ottawa, Ontario Canada
- Cara Ondra, Berlin, WI
- Wayne McBride, Ukiah, CA
- Craig Swanson, Benton City, WA
- John Anderson, Reno, Nevada
- William Haffey, Norwalk, Connecticut
- Mark Chao, Ithaca, NY
- Sam Schneider, Cincinnati,Ohio
- Hope Batcheller, Petersburgh, NY
- filip beeldens, Antwerpen, Belgium
- Carmen Bishop, Fairfax, VA
- Steve Hampton, Davis, CA
- James N. Sawyers, Westerville, Ohio
- Jason Luscier, Fayetteville, AR
- Maria Comsa, Santa Cruz, CA
- Simon Avery, San Luis Obispo, CA
- william fiero, walden, new york
- Greg Zupansic, Eugene, Oregon
- Urs Geiser, Woodridge, Illinois
- Lara Sparks, Merced, CA
- Joel Mundall, Loma Linda, CA
- Grace Oliver, Redmond, WA
- Jason Waanders, Washington, DC
- James P. Smith, Amherst, MA
- Sam Galick, Flemington, NJ
- Cathy Carroll, Dearborn, Michigan
- Chantel, Laurel Hollow, New York
- Jerome Wood, Huntington, New York
- Conor Fitzsimons, cold spring harbor, new york
- bobby mikkelsen, llyoud neck ny
- Seth Cutright, West Bend, WI
- Charlotte Stevens, Cumming, GA
- Seabrooke Leckie, Toronto, Ontario
- David T Liebers, Niskayuna, NY
- Sandra Lautrup, Effingham, Il.
- Tim Hochstetler, Millersburg, Ohio
- Elvis Wagner, New York, NY
- Santoi Wagner, New York
- Brian Sheehan, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Tim Avery, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Lyn Imperial, Middletown, Delaware
- Matthew Toomey, Tempe, AZ
- Adriana Rodriguez, Caracas, Venezuela
- Blake Mathys, New Brunswick, NJ
- Bryan Patrick, Woodland Park, CO
- Richard Hibpshman, Issaquah, WA
- Marcus Mundall, Williamsport, MD
- Pat Turk, galveston, texas
- Matt Liebers, Niskayuna, Ny
- Eddie Mundall, Klamath Falls, OR
- Laurina Mundall, Klamath Falls, OR
- Ben Young, Salem, OR
- Amber Allen, Salem, OR
- Travis A. Mahan, Decatur, IL
- Jon Mundall, Connell, WA
- Matthew Medler, Charlotte, VT
- Mike Burchett, Morgantown, WV
HOW DID YOU COMPARE?
Please note that, unfortunately, many answers were disqualified because of words like hybrid, Red-shafted, and Yellow-shafted. As stated in the quiz rules, answers must consist simply of the Common or English name exactly as it appears in the ABA Checklist.
The list below shows that the highest number of answers submitted was for Northern Flicker (228), followed by Gilded Flicker (98).
| Northern Flicker |  | 228 |
| Gilded Flicker | | 98 |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | | 1 |
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The photo and answer for this quiz were supplied by Chris Wood.
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