Cuban Flicker (Colaptes auratus chrysocaulosus)
(aka Yellow-shafted Flicker)
Male Northern Flicker, Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, February 2005 - click on image for a larger view Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba
February 2005

The Yellow-shafted Flicker is distributed in North and Central America and the West Indies. The more northerly populations in Canada and the USA migrate southwards during the northern winter.

The sub-species in Cuba is C. a. chrysocaulosus which differs from the nominate sub-species in being more olive on the upperparts with a deeper black crescent on the breast, larger spots below and a more golden yellow under the wings and tail.

These photos show a male with the black malar stripe which is lacking in the female.

Male Northern Flicker, Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, February 2005 - click on image for a larger view It is found in forest, pine wood and coastal habitats where it feeds on insects and fruit. The species is more arboreal in Cuba than elsewhere where it is more often seen foraging on the ground.
Male Northern Flicker, Soplillar, Zapata Swamp, Cuba, February 2005 - click on image for a larger view
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