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

1. southwestern United States bird like the yellow-shafted flicker but lacking the red neck