gilded flicker
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A species of woodpecker (Colaptes chrysoides) native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, characterized by its golden-yellow wing and tail feather shafts and lacking the red marking on the back of the neck found in some similar flicker species.
Usage
- The gilded flicker is specially adapted to desert environments, often nesting in saguaro cacti.
- Birdwatchers were thrilled to spot a pair of gilded flickers in the canyon.
- Unlike its eastern relative, the gilded flicker does not have a red nape.
Advanced Usage
- The gilded flicker is sometimes considered a subspecies of the northern flicker (), with which it can hybridize where their ranges overlap.
Variants and Related Words
- Flicker (n.): The common name for birds of the genus , which includes the gilded flicker, northern flicker, and others. They are known for their undulating flight and loud calls.
- Woodpecker (n.): The broader family of birds (Picidae) to which the gilded flicker belongs, characterized by drilling into tree bark for insects.
Synonyms
- Desert flicker (informal/descriptive)
- Yellow-shafted flicker (of the Southwest) (Note: This can be imprecise, as the true "yellow-shafted flicker" is an eastern subspecies of the northern flicker.)
Different Meanings
- Gilded (adj.): Covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint.
- Flicker (v.): To shine unsteadily; to waver, as a flame or light.
Noun
- southwestern United States bird like the yellow-shafted flicker but lacking the red neck