Courtney speaking of intergrade Northern Flickers, spurs me to comment that, not for the first year (maybe the third?) I've had several male intergrades around the neighborhood, yard & feeders (along with at least three female Red-shafteds) during the late fall & winter (this fall/winter without any Red-shafted males). But then once "spring"/March comes along the male intergrades all disappear. This week their disappearance coincided with the sudden appearance of a very vocal, drumming male Red-shafted Flicker, and typically now I won't see any more intergrades until the fall...
1) Has anyone else noticed this pattern?
2) Are the male intergrades unable to reproduce, and/or might they have lower levels of male hormones, causing them to vacate when a "robust" Red-shafted male shows up?
3) Or has anyone actually observed successful nesting/clutches from pairings of intergrade males and Red-shafted females?
I didn't see anything about it in the Birds of the World entry for Northern Flicker (Geographic Variation section). For what it's worth, the intergrade males (& one female) I've had around here over the years have all been individuals with varying degrees of red napal crescent (from the Yellow-shafted genes) but otherwise having Red-shafted features/phenotype. Maybe the particular visible/phenotypic trait of the given intergrade individual (e.g., the red napal crescent in otherwise Red-shafted features in this case) might correlate with decreased fertility?
Or just coincidence? I'm just curious.
Marty Wolf
NW Colo. Spgs.
On Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 5:23 PM Courtney R <dr.cawtney@gmail.com> wrote:
--Well. I should not have waited to reply until after Mary Kay's list 😄.
My list will definitely not address any species gaps, but this is a fun activity, and at least some of the more interesting and memorable accounts are a delight to share to fellow bird lovers. I live in a condo complex in Lafayette, so it's quite urban, but at least has several older trees and backs up to an open space. I've definitely bordered desperate bird lady with the variety of feeders and foods that I keep out for our flighted friends; but one can only do so much with a tiny and mostly concrete backyard.
- How long have you been keeping your list? On eBird, since late 2023 but I've been attentive of rarities since moving here about 2.5 years ago.
- What's your style of yard listing: Obsessed when home (I work remotely and specifically placed my desk next to the sliding glass door to be able to watch outside at all times. If you have seen the movie "Up", I embody the dog character, except I react every time there's a bird rather than a squirrel; although, to be honest, I react to squirrels too)
- How many species? Literal yard—40; with condo complex backing up to an open space, the broader open space list increases to over 100.
- Rarest, or favorite species? Literal yard: lazuli bunting pair in summer 2022, one pine siskin, one leucistic common grackle, intergrade northern flickers, and yesterday a red winged blackbird male with AKD (avian keratin disorder); open space: common nighthawks, swallows, flyover sandhill cranes, male NOHA, Merlin, bats.
- Most memorable experience? So many! Seeing a flicker's full tongue extend to reach seed (image below), GHOW pair duetting then copulating on my chimney, blue Jay attacking a GHOW just hanging out on the fence ( https://www.facebook.com/share/v/GHjz2JByVtsivh1r/?mibextid=K35XfP). Also, while I'm not a morning person, hearing a Cooper's hawk in an argument with blue jays will wake me up in the best mood possible—it happened a few times last summer. Lastly, I love how often the blue jays mimic either red tailed hawks, Cooper's hawks, or something that sounds more Phoebe like.
- Location/habitat: Urban. In a condo complex near open space and with aged trees (back yard is a small fenced in one, mostly concrete)
Some pics! (Pardon any door distortion—the glass has had a rough life since the late 80s)NOFL tongueRWBL with avian keratin disorder of upper mandible/maxillaCOGR with leucismThis has been fun to see what's shown up in yards. I do this daily by participating in the e-bird yard tallies, but I've noticed that many of these fantastic lists people have been sending in, are not included! I'd like to recommend that people go to eBird, click "explore", go down to "yard birds" then click "add a yard". Put in the location name you use for your yard. Then at the top where it says "region", click that and enter Colorado. It's fascinating to watch what different people have seen. You can even follow a bit of migration patterns by seeing who has seen what, where. There are rules to follow -- any bird you see while in your yard. Don't cheat! I've often seen a bird while outside the yard and had to see if I could still see or hear it when I'd crossed over my property line back into my own yard. If no, it doesn't go on the list. Of course if some of these wonderful yards that you've all posted here are included in eBird's yard list, my ranking will go way down! But that's ok.--My own stats:How long have you been keeping your list? Have lived here 60 years but only birded a lot here for 25. Then discovered during the pandemic that exploring my own yard daily was really as exciting as driving around chasing birds in different places.What's your style of yard listing: I'd have to say obsessed -- a minimum of 3 trips around the property every day, often more.How many species? 139Rarest, or favorite species? The Bobwhite was unexpected (escaped?) and the Snipe that blew in after a storm and let me walk right up to it. Northern Parula and Chestnut-sided are the rare warblers. The 200 Bohemian Waxwings were definitely exciting, but I actually prefer the Cedars and love seeing them. Just yesterday had a pair of Hooded Mergansers in the Creek. But I actually love being able to show people my Eastern Screech Owls. Many people got a lifer seeing them peek out of their holes. Birders always welcome.Most memorable experience? Maybe it was watching a Bushtit hung up on a twig 20' up and hanging by its tail. Other Bushtits tried to free it but couldn't, so a Chickadee finally came over and snipped off the twig, freeing the Bushtit.Location/habitat: suburban. Lucky enough to have 2.5 acres with big trees and a bit of creek. And I let it go completely wild.Other location in foothills above Westcliffe:species: 105The Saw-whet was pretty special, and a 5-woodpecker day (can't compete with Duane!). but nothing could beat the 3,000 Sandhills flying over in one day.
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