# Yet another bird ID thread
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 27, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912 "2007-04-27T23:56:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/1 "2007-04-27T23:56:23Z")
I saw / heard a bird drumming (6-8 taps, 30 seconds, 6-8 taps) on top of my cedar birdfeeder. The bird was large (blue jay or mourning dove sized)
Overall light tan in color. The upper breast was black (semi circular patch), with the rest of the torso being white with black spots.
The back of the neck was red (crescent / smile shaped) The head itself was light tan.
Location: SE Minnesota. Suburbia but wooded areas and Mississippi River within a few miles. Today (April 27) about 18:30 local time.
any ideas?
thanks!
Brian
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/2 "2007-04-28T00:03:02Z")
[Northern Flicker](http://www.wildlightimages.com/StockIMAGES/Birds/B024G.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/3 "2007-04-28T00:04:04Z")
Sounds like probably a [woodpecker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodpecker) of some kind to me.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/4 "2007-04-28T00:09:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane]
Sounds like probably a [woodpecker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodpecker) of some kind to me.
[/QUOTE]
Flickers are woodpeckers. However, besides drilling wood they also eat a lot of ants and spend a lot of time on the ground rather in trees.
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### Author:  [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/5 "2007-04-28T00:11:15Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri]
Flickers are woodpeckers. However, besides drilling wood they also eat a lot of ants and spend a lot of time on the ground rather in trees.
[/QUOTE]
Didn’t see your post when I submitted. :o You’re more expert on the topic than I, by far.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/6 "2007-04-28T01:03:40Z")
Definitely sounds like a flicker - my yard in PA is crawling with them.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/7 "2007-04-28T01:10:24Z")
I remember the top of thead being tan rather than grey, but that is definitely it.
I have had red headed woodpeckers before (esp when I had suet), but I knew it wasn’t that. I tried woodpeckers and related but obviously have up before finding n. flicker.
I may have seen them before, but its the 1st time at my feeder.
thanks
Brian
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-bird-id-thread/401912/8 "2007-04-28T02:32:51Z")
[QUOTE=N9IWP]
I remember the top of thead being tan rather than grey, but that is definitely it.
[/QUOTE]
There are two different forms of Northern Flicker in the US, which were formerly considerd to be separate species. The Yellow-shafted Flicker (which I linked to above) is found in the east, including your area, and the [Red-shafted Flicker](http://www.chrisharris.com/gallery/g-flicker.jpg) is found in the west. The latter has a gray face and brown crown, the opposite of the Yellow-shafted form. The two forms hybridize extensively on the Great Plains, and intermediate individuals can be found over a wide area. It is quite possible the bird you saw had some hybrid characteristics such as a brown crown.