Look at these feathers!

Northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) are in the woodpecker family and are native to much of North America. This specimen came to our bird collection from New Mexico. How do we know it wasn't from Florida? Typically the Northern flickers in the western regions of N. America have orange-hued wing and tail feather shafts, while eastern birds are noticeably more yellow. Based on the feathers and beak, our ornithologists think this was a juvenile male that had an encounter with a cat. #birds