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Need help identifying cool bird, with striking wing pattern near Sanders Arizona (1 Viewer)

Nofeathers

New member
United States
Hello, need/want some help here identifying a bird. The bird in question most notably had black red and white wings in a distinctive, I want to say hyper stylish and geometric patterning. The patterns on the spread wings was almost like… maybe a pattern from a Native American painting, pottery or blanked maybe. I’d say this bird tended towards. I honestly can say I remember what colors were dominant out of the red black and white but maybe~ black. The true distinguishing feature for me were the notable wings. Spread wings maybe 10-18 inch span, hard to tell but medium size not tiny or taradacktyl. Medium size bird with well proportioned wings that were so stylish that I had to stop what I was doing. This bird looked like someone painted a design of a bird, and it flew off. Like a skilled native artisan painted a design of an imaginary and hyper stylish and badass bird, then it came to life. I only can think it looked like a thunderbird in render. Dunno, was just way more stylish and the wings! I have not been able to find any photos of a bird even half this cool looking or species when searching photos online, specifically for red white black birds. No bird see with this same hella cool pattern on the Spread wings, maybe a lil on the side of the breast also, not sure. Sorry I don’t have a photo, but I watched him fly from tree to tree in my yard for a while. His wings full like a glider and the feather crisp and distinctive. And with a very distinct red and white trapezoids. Different and way more… geometric, angular stylized. Someone has to know what I mean, this is a real bird, but a very cool one. Please help. Thanks
 
Hi there Nofeathers and a warm welcome to you from those of us on BirdForum ;)

My first thought was one of our Woodpeckers as they are likely with those colors. When you did your search, did you place the area that it was seen? That's always quite helpful. It would be great if you could go back to the area it was seen for a couple of days with a camera and perhaps you could spot it again and take a picture. Please come back although you will get emails from BF when someone posts to your thread. Hopefully this wll get you into birding and become one of us bird nerds :)
 
I think I agree with KC. Have you tried Acorn Woodpecker, for example?
 
I thought about Red-winged Blackbird too, but I thought that a Google search for 'red white black birds' would've covered it. Unless these were the parameters for Merlin's Step by Step ID, for example. Also, the 'flying from tree to tree in my yard' part. But Acorn Woodpecker would've been rare, so it's likely something else indeed.
I have not been able to find any photos of a bird even half this cool looking or species when searching photos online, specifically for red white black birds.
 
Hello all, and thank you so much for your leads suggestions. Red wing black bird, no. Acorn woodpecker, no. Both these birds have similar colors but not the right body shape or patterns. Both these birds look too… round. This bird was sleek, like a model. It’s patters seemed less organic and more geometric with no mixing of the color fields. Think like it looked kinda like a cool Navajo blanket in style. When it spread its wings was like a totem pole. The shapes were geometric and symmetrical and looked like a drawing. Almost too cool to be real. I spend a lot of time outside here, this is the first time I’ve seen this one. I’ll keep looking out and if it comes back I’ll try a snap a pic. These were all great suggestions. I am quite surprised I haven’t found it out of the hundreds if not thousands of photos reviewed.
 
Welcome to BF.
Probably some woodpecker. You won't get any further without a photo. You are liable to make all sorts of mistakes in what you see/remember in a brief visual encounter - that's just how things are.
 
When it spread its wings it and tail it had well placed trapezoids~ and chevrons~ really
 

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Woodpeckers possible in Sanders, AZ, today in order of probability:
[insert Acorn Woodpecker]
If it's one of them, by Murphy's law, it's going to be the first one from the top.

Woodpeckers are quite pretty, aren't they.
 

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I'm not familiar with US birds so might be way off, but when I read the description the first thing I thought of was Red-shouldered Hawk:

I don't know how likely this is in your area at this time of year, but thought I'd put it out there as an alternative to the woodpecker suggestions.
 

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