Copyright Joseph V. Higbee

The Northern Flicker is a woodpecker, but one that hardly looks the part.

Where most woodpeckers are a reliable mix of black, white, and bits of red, the Northern Flicker is buff tan overall.

The undersides of its wings and tail-feathers flash with coppery-red, giving the bird the nickname “Red-shafted Flicker.”

And if all this weren’t enough, it’s often found on the ground.

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