Spotting a Northern Flicker

This time of the season, my backyard is inhabited by Mockingbirds, Gray Catbirds, Robins and the occasional Brown Thrasher. One could imagine my surprise when I noticed a certain bird, a Northern Flicker, pecking away at the grass in search of some brunch.

Courtesy of allaboutbirds.org.

A Northern Flicker had made an appearance the previous year, and its kin seemed to have been incognito ever since, until I looked out my window and spotted the bird the other day. After watching the bird chip at the earth, I was inclined to dig up more facts about it and found some interesting information. 

Depending on the location, Northern Flickers can be identified as red-shafted or yellow-shafted and the latter is further distinguished by red marks just below its head. 

Courtesy of allaboutbirds.org.

Although the bird I saw failed to flail its feathers, it was evidently a yellow-shafted because I had a bird's eye view of its red mark. Also, Northern Flickers are a variety of woodpecker, instead of being constant tree dwellers, they are known for searching grounds for food, which is why I was able to easily spot it. 

Find more facts about Northern Flickers and other birds at allaboutbirds.org.