Bird Guide

Andean Flicker vs Guatemalan Flicker

Andean Flicker (Colaptes rupicola)

Andean Flicker

Colaptes rupicola

Medium174 gGrassland

The Andean flicker is about 32 cm (13 in) long. Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are dark slate gray from forehead to hindneck; the last occasionally has a hint of red. Their face, chin, and throat are pale buffy white with a thin black malar stripe with red tips on the feathers. Adult females have an all-black malar stripe and never any red on the hindneck. Both sexes' upperparts are barred with brown, light brown, and buffy white; their uppertail coverts are white with narrow dark bars. Voice: The Andean flicker has a large vocal repertoire. Its most common calls are "a loud, piercing kweeir...and a loud tew-tew-tew". Males display with a "kwa-kwa-kwa, wee-a, wee-a or kway-áp call". They also make "single or grouped peek or kek" calls that are thought to be for contact or alarm, and "a clear descending trill, brrrridip" that is thought to be for long-distance communication.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Andean Flicker
Recorded by Belén y Diego · Uncertain · Valle Colorado, Valle Grande, Jujuy, Argentina · CC0
Photo: Diego Carús · CC0
Guatemalan Flicker (Colaptes mexicanoides)

Guatemalan Flicker

Colaptes mexicanoides

Medium131 gShrubland

The Guatemalan flicker is 25.9 to 32.9 cm (10 to 13 in) long and weighs about 115 to 135 g (4.1 to 4.8 oz). The sexes have almost the same plumage, differing only on the face. Females have a cinnamon "mustache" and males a bright red one. Adults of both sexes have a cinnamon rufous to rufous-chestnut crown and nape on an otherwise gray face, throat, and neck. Their back has wide black and light brown bars. Their rump and uppertail coverts are white with some black spots on the former and black bars on the latter.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Spencer · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Andean Flicker and Guatemalan Flicker.