Guest post by Ed Dahlberg
Hi Everybody,
This is a Red-Shafted race of the Common Flicker. The name comes from the red “mustache” on each side of the bill. They are members of the woodpecker family and subsist primarily of ants during the summer. Found predominantly in the west, there is a Yellow-Shafted race found mostly in the north and east all the way into the midwest. The Gilded race is found in the Southwest.
This bird was one of three attempting to get into my sunflower feeder in the back yard, which they do. Obviously a major food source in the winter, particularly with the snow we have received in the last couple days (Boise, Idaho.)
Thanks for letting me participate in your project! – Ed
The Big Year 2021 
Ed, Thank you so much for sharing these! What a cool bird! Those dots on the underside look so perfect, it’s like they were made by a felt-tipped Sharpie marker. We have yet to identify a Flicker for our list, but I love the Flickers I’ve seen in your photos, and just yesterday we were talking about Flickers when a friend of ours posted this one (Santa Fe, NM): https://www.instagram.com/p/CLM5yM-liOA/ Looks like it could be an adult Gilded Flicker with the slightly browner head…but they are so similar and map suggests Northern would be more common where she is anyway.
My day recently logged one (Ventura, CA): https://deanryanphotography.smugmug.com/Wildlife/2021-Big-Year-Birds-Collection/n-tD6Qc7/i-s4k6wC9/A
It’s interesting that they can have such a varied diet – ants in the summer and sunflower seeds in the winter!
We look forward to seeing more from you!
Blair
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Blair, I think Geneva’s is also a Northern. I’d say the head is more grey than brown. – Dad/Dean
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