Northern Flicker (1 Viewer)

[alancairns]

This flicker was in my garden in February. It has a red malar stripe, and a red nape. It is definitely red-shafted, though this isn't apparent in the pictures. According to Sibley, there should be no red nape. A yellow-shafted should show a red nape, but a black malar. Is this some kind of intergrade?

We are deep in red-shafted territory here -- the nearest yellow-shafteds are probably in Alberta.

Alan

 

[prairiemerlin]

I know Y.S. and R.S will hybridize, though I've never seen or heard about anything like your bird. I can look up some things for you.

 

[godwit]

Sibley perhaps only illustrates the extremes. He mentions: 'intermediate birds frequent throughout the continent', perhaps that explains it.

Dave

 

[alcedo.atthis]

This flicker was in my garden in February. It has a red malar stripe, and a red nape. It is definitely red-shafted, though this isn't apparent in the pictures. According to Sibley, there should be no red nape. A yellow-shafted should show a red nape, but a black malar. Is this some kind of intergrade?

We are deep in red-shafted territory here -- the nearest yellow-shafteds are probably in Alberta.

Alan, there are comments on the following :-
http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Northern+Flicker

"Although the yellow-shafted and red-shafted forms of the northern flicker remain together because of "massive and apparently free interbreeding," the gilded flicker of the southwestern deserts has again been accorded full species status." taken from :-
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/features/96/05/03/3naturetrails.0-2.html

Audubon states "All 3 forms interbreed where their ranges comes togther, and numerous intermediates can be found."

Regards

Malky. Nice bird, by the way.

 

[alancairns]

Alan, there are comments on the following :-
http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=Northern+Flicker

"Although the yellow-shafted and red-shafted forms of the northern flicker remain together because of "massive and apparently free interbreeding," the gilded flicker of the southwestern deserts has again been accorded full species status." taken from :-
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/features/96/05/03/3naturetrails.0-2.html

Audubon states "All 3 forms interbreed where their ranges comes togther, and numerous intermediates can be found."

Regards

Malky. Nice bird, by the way.

Thanks. I looked at the page you mention, and the three male RS Flickers illustrated are exactly as I would expect, and just like all the other flickers I see around here. This bird is the only one I've seen with the nape crescent. I suppose it must be an intergrade, but we are so far from the YS range it's hard to see just how it would happen.

Alan

 

[alcedo.atthis]

"but we are so far from the YS range it's hard to see just how it would happen."

Alan, I am situated in the North East of Scotland. I found a vagrant Canada Goose here, which was rung in Maryland the spring previous to the find. So, in terms of distance, the meeting of the 2 species, the interbreeding, and the movement of the intergrade is totally possible considering the distance some birds travel.
Just one of those weird quirks of nature.

Best regards


Malky.

 

[Tero]

My book lists hybrids as being most common here in the Great Plains, or next to me. Flickers, titmice and orioles are common. Chickadees are apparently rare as hybrids.

 

[Katy Penland]

Thanks. I looked at the page you mention, and the three male RS Flickers illustrated are exactly as I would expect, and just like all the other flickers I see around here. This bird is the only one I've seen with the nape crescent. I suppose it must be an intergrade, but we are so far from the YS range it's hard to see just how it would happen.

Alan

It'll take some digging, but if you're interested, there is a birding club in Washington state one of whose members photographed a hybrid northern flicker there. Don't know how far up the coast you are, but it seems that yellow- x red-shafted wouldn't be too far away from you as Sibley's indicates the yellow-shafted is a common breeder in Alaska (as well as eastern NA) and red-shafted is common throughout all of western NA.

 

[alancairns]

It'll take some digging, but if you're interested, there is a birding club in Washington state one of whose members photographed a hybrid northern flicker there. Don't know how far up the coast you are, but it seems that yellow- x red-shafted wouldn't be too far away from you as Sibley's indicates the yellow-shafted is a common breeder in Alaska (as well as eastern NA) and red-shafted is common throughout all of western NA.

Thank you, thank you. I found it in the Gallery of the "Tweeters" group. The URL is http://www.ktsweb.com/tweeters/images/nofl.jpg. It is exactly the bird in my photograph.

Alan

 

["VT"]

Here in Calgary, most of the Flickers are hybrids, and any combination of head markings can occur. There was even a report of a male with 1 black malar, and 1 red malar! Interestingly, only the Yellow-shafted occur in Edmonton, just 3 hours north of here. It's even more interesting that you have a hybrid in B.C. Thanks for the information.