![]() ![]() Red-shafted Flickers have gray heads, throats, and napes, and their foreheads are brown. The flight feathers of Red-shafted Flickers have reddish-orange shafts, and their wings and tail are reddish-orange below. Two forms occur in Washington: the Red-shafted, and less commonly, the Yellow-shafted. There is a broad, black band across the upper chest. Their tails are black, and they have white rumps. Their backs are brown with black barring, and their chests and bellies are light tan with prominent clear black spots. Northern Flickers are unusual among North American woodpeckers in that their general coloration is brown rather than black and white. Both sexes incubate the eggs, with males generally taking the night shift. The nests are usually lined with nothing but the woodchips created by excavating the nest cavity, which is excavated by both members of the pair. Most woodpecker species are monogamous, and many form long-term pair bonds. Although they may appear to damage trees, woodpeckers are generally good for tree health because they feed so heavily on wood-boring beetles. Many, especially males, have small patches of red or yellow on their heads. The plumage of most is some combination of black and white, though brown is not uncommon. Most woodpeckers have rounded wings and an undulating flight pattern. A few woodpeckers feed on ants, nuts, or flying insects. The principal food of most woodpeckers is insects, especially the larvae of wood-boring beetles. A special arrangement of bones and elastic tissues allows woodpeckers to extend their long tongues and extract insect prey from the holes they chisel with their strong, sharp beaks. The specially adapted skulls of woodpeckers allow them to pound hard on tree trunks to excavate nesting and roosting cavities, to find food, and to communicate and attract mates. Most use their strong claws and stiff tail feathers to brace themselves against tree trunks as they climb. Further specialization has produced many aberrant forms with different behavior and feeding habits. Woodpeckers have many adaptations that allow them to perch upright against tree trunks and feed on insects under the bark or within the wood of the tree itself. ![]()
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