THE YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER. 445 



No. 177. 



YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER. 



.A. O. L'. No. 412 a. Colaptes auratiis liiteus Bangs. 



Synonyms. — Flickku. .Xuktiiern' Flicker. (jOLdkn-wi.ngi;i) Wood- 

 pecker. Yi;llo\v-h.\mmer. I Ik.ii-iioli'.. ITu'.ii-iioi.uer. Pic.eon W'oodpecker. 

 Wake-up. 



Description. — Adult male: Top of head and cervix ashy gray, with a vina- 

 ceous tinge on forehead ; a hright scarlet l)and on the back of the neck ; hack, scapu- 

 lars, and wings vinaceous gray with conspicuous black bars, lirace-shaped, cres- 

 centic or various ; primaries plain dusky on exposed webs ; lining of the wing and 

 shafts of the wing-quills vellow ; rump broadly white; upper tail-coverts white, 

 black-barred in broad, "herring-bone" pattern ; tail double-pointed, black, and 

 with black shafts on exposed upper surface; feathers sharply acuminate; tail 

 below, golden-yellow and with yellow shafts, save on black tips ; chin, sides of 

 head, and throat vinaceous, enclosing two broad, black, malar stripes, or mous- 

 taches : a broad, black, pectoral crescent; remaining underparts white wMth heavy 

 vinaceous shading on breast and sides, everywhere marked with sharply defined 

 and handsome round, or cordate, spots of black. Bill and feet dark plumbeous. 

 Adult female: Similar, but without black moustache. Sexes about ecjual in size. 

 Length 12.00-12.75 ' 304.8-3.23.') 1 : av. of thirteen specimens: wing 6.13 (155.7); 

 tail 4.34 (110.2) : bill 1.34 (34). 



RecoKnition Marks. — Size not com])arable to that of any better kudwn bird ; 

 scarlet nuchal band : yelloie "flickerings"' in flight : pectoral crescent : white rum]); 

 black-spotted breast, etc. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Xest: an excavation in a tree or 

 stump, usually made by the bird, at mnderate heights; unlined, save by chijis. 

 E(/(/s: 4-10, usually 7 or 8, glossy white. .\v. size. 1. 09 x. 85 (27.7x21.6). 



General Range. — Xorthern and eastern North America, west to the eastern 

 slope of t!ie Ruckv Mountains and Alaska. Occasional on the Pacific slope from 

 California ncjrtlnvard. .Accidental in Europe. 



Range in Washington. — Casual during migrations — a straggler from Alaska. 



Authorities. — Dawson, Auk. \'ol. XX\'., Oct. 1908. p. 484. 



Specimens. — Prov. E. 



THIv true Yelluw-sliafled Ficker. the familiar l)inl of the Eastern Slates, 

 is occasionally taken as a straggler during the fall migrations. Mr. D. E. 

 Brown took a typical specimen at Glacier, in 1904, and Mr. Victor Savings, of 

 Blaine, lias shot one and seen several others. .\ specimen in Mr. Rathhun's 

 collection was taken by Mr. Matt. H. Gorniley, on Orcas Island. October 15, 

 1903. The l)ird is a male and is typical save for the faintest |)ossihle tinge 

 of salmon in the yellow, which marks him as a bnrder-line sjiecimen. i)rol)al)ly 

 a British Columbian bird which did not detlecl eastward siifficienll\- in the 

 autumn retreat. 



