Date: 12/5/25 3:12 pm From: Ron W <ourwildplaces...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Unknown Woodpecker, Montrose Colorado, Dec 04 25
Thanks for the help in working through this.
No other species matches this bird, and thus I've recorded it on e-bird as
a Black-backed, adult female. I also added one photo of the many others I
took, from a slightly farther distance.
On Friday, December 5, 2025 at 3:22:02 PM UTC-7 Ron W wrote:
> Thanks Josh.
>
> I've seen hundreds of Flickers and you're telling me I saw one and didn't
> recognize it? Out of the question really. Your photos are clearly of a
> poorly lit Flicker, and had I saw that bird, I would have instantly known
> what it was.
>
> However, when I saw this all black backed woodpecker I thought "what!?"
> and immediately got the phone out. Your bird looks nothing like my
> observed woodpecker, so it cannot be a Northern Flicker.
>
> Flicker:
> Larger. Larger bill, larger overall.
> Not uniformly dark from the top of the head to the tail.
> Tail is noticeably longer than my observed bird.
> Reads as brown rather than black.
> Less contrast between the back and front of the bird in question.
> Even if you look at the last image at the *possible* red malar, it's not
> placed the same or in the same shape as a Flicker, as it is right up under
> the eye. As I said, this photo was in the shadow and is less reliable.
>
> On Friday, December 5, 2025 at 3:06:49 PM UTC-7 Josh Bruening wrote:
>
>> Ron,
>>
>> Your bird is a Northern Flicker. The spots on the side rather than
>> barring and red malar are slam dunks. To me, all pictures look like the
>> same bird. You asked for photos so here are two of my (not so great)
>> photos from my back yard in Fort Collins. This is a melanistic Northern
>> Flicker. I included a pic from that same morning with a "regular" Northern
>> Flicker along with the melanistic one. The difference between the two was
>> striking and I wish I would have gotten better pics. Though you can't see
>> it in these pics because I was unable to capture it, the bird's back was
>> very dark and not what you would normally expect from a Flicker.Photo
>> quality/chimney soot/melanism, and other myriad circumstances can all be
>> reasons why a common bird would suddenly look exotic. I hope these help.
>>
>> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>>
>> Josh Bruening
>> Fort Collins
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Dec 5, 2025, at 1:48 PM, Ron W <ourwil......> wrote:
>>
>> Reasons Lewis's isn't a good fit for this bird:
>>
>>
>>
>> Observed behavior. They are usually observed high in trees rather than
>> foraging near the base.
>> In full light, I think I would have seen green on its back. This bird
>> appeared black to the eye. In my experience, Lewis's can look black, but
>> not in full sun.
>> The bird in question had a shorter tail.
>>
>> 340 younger Lewis's photos:
>>
>> https://media.ebird.org/catalog?birdOnly=true&taxonCode=lewwoo&mediaType=photo&sort=rating_rank_desc&age=juvenile,immature >>
>>
>>
>> On Friday, December 5, 2025 at 2:28:02 PM UTC-7 Paula Hansley wrote:
>>
>>> I think that immature Lewis ‘s Woodpecker is a very good possibility.
>>> The size and proportions don’t look right for a Williamson’s Sapsucker.
>>>
>>> Paula Hansley
>>> Louisville
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 5, 2025 at 2:10 PM Mars Atchison <marsatc......>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't necessarily think it is one, but is there a reason no one is
>>>> considering an odd looking juvenile Lewis's?
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Dec 5, 2025, 1:45 PM Caoimhín Perkins <ksper......>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It’s little hard to tell but these do look more like spots than in the
>>>>> other photos. I do not see any red personally but taking another look at
>>>>> this photo is interesting.
>>>>>
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