The Western Flicker, scientifically known as Colaptes auratus, is a fascinating bird species belonging to the woodpecker family. This bird is widely recognized for its distinctive appearance and behavior, making it a subject of interest for birdwatchers and ornithologists. And one of ongoing fascination for me.

Personally, during the Covid lock-down year +, I was in a chair. I had Covid in January, 2020, before it had a name. The good folks at Boulder Community Hospital were kind enough to save my life. Between that and not going out, I spent a LOT of time in this lounge chair, camera in hand, watching movies, but mostly watching or reacting to peripheral input and taking pictures. I have a LOT of pictures of Flickers. Most are terrible or not of any use to me. As I go through them, every once in the while, I run into one or more that I really like.

The Red Patches on the cheeks show that these guys are both males

Normally I look for more emotional involvement in my animal pictures and avoid the neutral bird guide type of image. These two just fly off the page at me, showing off the crazy chimera of feathers. I look at that and am reminded that there are no accidents.

One of the most eye-catching features is the bird’s tail, which locally used to be mostly bright red with the occasional yellow tail, depending on the subspecies. The underwing and undertail are also vividly colored,. While this was true historically and locally in Lafayette, Colorado, for a number of years now, perhaps 10 or more, we have had ORANGE-shafted flickers exclusively. Since Red and Yellow make orange, I have my suspicions that the red tailed and the yellow tailed got along especially well.  This bright coloration is not just for display; it plays a crucial role in the bird’s communication and mating rituals.

The Western Flicker is commonly found in various habitats across North America, particularly in the western regions. They thrive in open forests, woodlands, and even suburban areas, adapting well to human-altered landscapes. Their range extends from Alaska and Canada down through the United States to Central America. Locally we have these eye-candy birds as guests and visitors throughout the year.

Western Flickers are cavity nesters, typically using holes in trees. They are known for their loud drumming on trees or metal objects, a behavior that serves as a territorial claim and a mating call.

Conservation efforts focus on protecting their natural habitats and monitoring population trends to ensure their continued survival.

Love

Lensworth