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Birding/Woodpecker: Downy or Nuttall's

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Expert: Julia Booth - 12/31/2008


Question

Bird.unknown
The attached photo was taken a few days ago.  The bird was in our front yard which is located in Stockton, CA.  It is a sarge, upland type of bird that flew away very low and relatively slow.  It's wing span is not long.

We live in a small, triangular, suburban, but isolated neighborhood with the Stockton Deep Water Channel (San Joaquin River) on one side, the Calaveras River on the second side, and the Stockton Golf Club on the third side.  The San Joaquin Delta starts just across the rivers and stretches to the Bay Area.  We've only lived here for one year, and are just getting used to the wide variety of bird life, and we're excited to learn as much as we can.

We try Internet ID sites, but this one is not clear to us.  Any ideas?  Thanks in advance.

Answer
That is a Nothern Flicker, and usually they aren't on the ground like that. The determining field mark is the black breast patch. The Gilded Flicker also has the same signature patch, but isn't found anywhere near where you are.

Hope this helps,


Julia

Julia Booth

Expertise

I can answer questions about bird identification (by sight or sound), behavior, distribution, population, conservation, mating, nesting, fledging and feeding. I do have some practical knowledge about foreign species, but identification skills are limited in that arena. Bear in mind that as much as I know, it's possible that at least some of you will ask a question that I am unable to answer. At which point I would direct you to wherever or whomever I thought could provide you with that information.

Experience

I have 15 years birding experience in Southern California.

Organizations
Audubon Society

Education/Credentials
My education is in art and photography -but I have a substantial portfolio of nature related work.

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