Northern flickers are common visitors to Hogsback Acre. During the summer months they are most often seen in the lawn using their long bill to probe the ground for ants and insects. During the winter months they are commonly seen around the suet feeder like this lovely male in the photos below.
Here in the eastern U.S., flickers are referred to as being "yellow-shafted" which refers to the color of the feather shafts. In the western U.S., flickers have red-shafted feathers and are named accordingly.
The male flicker can be distinguished from the female by the black mustache markings on each side of the face. Here at Hogsback Acre, the males are much more common than females.
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