Northern Flicker

A strange angle of a Northern Flicker showing off its white rump—a female of the expected Red-shafted race judging by the lack of red or black on the bird’s head. I think the gray feathers on either side of the rump are flank feathers that are usually underneath the bird’s wings. One of the joys of birding is that even the most common of birds is often exquisitely plumaged. Erika and I found this flicker along Capitol Lake in Olympia on 24 December 2020.