Birds of East Vancouver: Red-shafted flicker

With autumn already halfway through, you may have noticed many species of birds returning to local gardens. I shot this photo of a northern flicker, specifically a red-shafted flicker, from my living room. It’s a kind of woodpecker, and it’s often seen on lawns and trees around town.

According to the folks at Audubon, the northern flicker is a resident species from “Alaska east through Manitoba to Newfoundland and south throughout United States”. Sounds emanating from this bird include a “loud, repeated flicker or wicka-wicka-wicka; also a loud kleeer”.