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Rec. # 2024-04
Gilded Flicker
Date:
21 Apr 2024
Type of material: Outside opinion of
record 2024-04 for a Gilded Flicker
Source of Information: Ryan
O'Donnell
"I believe this record is acceptable as Gilded Flicker. Here
in central Arizona, I'm in the heart of the breeding range of Gilded Flicker,
and even get them on my yard list once in a while. This bird wouldn't stand out
to me here in any way. I believe the crown color, contrast between crown and
cheeks, thin barring on upper back, color of remiges and rectrices, and the
extent of black in the tail all support Gilded Flicker and exclude Northern
Flicker. As some of the review team has mentioned, there is a hint of orange
tone to the flight feathers in a few images, but I also see this sometimes in
Gilded Flickers central Arizona. My impression is that this hint of
golden-orange is affected by the angle of view, with flat direct views of the
feathers showing less reddish tone and purer yellow, and with oblique angled
views tending to exaggerate the reddish end of the gold spectrum, but I haven't
studied this carefully. (I wasn't aware of the geographic pattern in flight
feather color that was cited in the BNA account, and haven't noticed it myself.)
I have not found the shape of the breast patch to be very useful and I don't use
it as a field mark myself.
I have little or no experience with GIFLxNOFL hybrids, but I see no reason to
invoke one here. As with many species pairs, it is probably not possible to
completely rule out some small genetic contribution from another lineage (NOFL
in this case). But, lacking any evidence of hybridization, in my opinion this is
acceptable as a Gilded Flicker.
Cheers,
Ryan O'Donnell
former member of the Utah Bird Records Committee and current member of the
Arizona Bird Committee."
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Just to give some background, Ryan O'Donnell
is a former UBRC member, current ABC member, AZ eBird Reviewer and works for
Arizona Game and Fish Department conducting state wide surveys of AZ birds and
is very experienced with Gilded Flickers. So, although we never got an
explanation from Kenn Kauffmann about his opinion, we have an opinion from
another experienced birder with extensive experience with this species, so take
that for whatever it's worth. I think we have exercised due caution with this
record and have all done our own research and sought opinions from outside the
UBRC to inform our opinions, but I see nothing further we can do except complete
our 2nd round vote on this unusual record. ~ B. Olsen
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