Other important features to keep in mind are the noticeable malars,В which is another term for вЂњmustache.вЂќ On the Red-shafted, the red malar on theВ male looks like a dribble of red paint, as though the bird got caught eating it and some spilled down his вЂњchinвЂќ (or at least thatвЂ™s what it looks like to me!) On the Yellow-shafted,В the males have a black malar instead of red.

As you can guess, the Red-shafted has a wide breadthВ of red under its wings, while the Yellow-shafted has yellow. The key identifying feature of each species is the bright coloring under their wings. TheВ Red-shafted lives in the western U.S., while the Yellow-shafted lives in the eastern U.S. Part of the woodpecker family, both the Red-shafted and the Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers used to be consideredВ different species. While they are not common visitors at feeders, they have been known to eat fruit, sunflower seed, Nyjer seed, and nuts or suet when other food sources are scarce during the coldВ winter months.В These migratory birds venture south for the winter, while a select few travel farther north with a range stretching from Alaska downВ to the panhandle of Texas and across the U.S. About half as big as a Hairy Woodpecker, you can find flickers along the edge of wooded areas, nesting in scattered trees found in open fields or even near the edges of marshes, in city parks or suburbs.Дepending on how far flickers migrate, you may be surprised to seeВ flickers at your feeders. Also known as Pic flamboyant in French, Northern Flickers measureВ 11 to 12 inches long with a wingspan between 16-1/2 to 20 inches wide.

Yellow shafted flicker