The Red-shafted Flickers 



Taken in Pasadena Photo by Donald R. Dickey 



RED-SHAFTED FLICKER lOt-TNESTING BOX 



and the most con- 

 spicuous of any- 

 thing in that order. 

 An infatuated 

 Flicker is a very 

 soft and foolish- 

 looking bird, but it 

 must be admitted 

 that he thoroughly 

 understands the 

 feminine heart, and 

 succeeds in love be- 

 yond the luck of 

 most. A bevy of 

 suitors will lay siege 

 to the affections of 

 a fair lady, say in 

 the top of a syca- 

 more tree. Although 

 the rivalry is fierce, 

 one gallant at a 

 time will be allowed 

 to display his 

 charms. This he 

 does by advancing 

 toward the female 

 along a horizontal 

 limb, bowing, scrap- 

 ing, pirouetting, 

 and swaying his 

 head from side to 

 side with a rhythmi- 

 cal motion. Now 

 and then the swain 

 pretends to lose his 

 balance, being quite 

 blinded, you see, by 

 the luster of mi- 

 lady's eyes, but in 

 reality he does it 

 that he may have 

 an excuse to throw 



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