help identifying this bird seen in Castle Valley

[CHRIS STEINMAN]

Hello Moab Bird Club,  

We have a visitor who sleeps up above the top of the wall in our outside generator room every night. This behavior has started since the weather has gotten colder this year. When I carefully approach to take a picture with a flashlight the bird stays very still. When I go back out just before sunrise the bird is always gone. There is no evidence up on the top of the wall where the bird sleeps of any nesting materials like grass or sticks. The bird's head is evidently tucked in its wings in this picture. Estimating the size of the bird it is approximately 5 or 6 inches from left to right.  

Unfortunately I do not have a better picture. 

Any ideas as to what species this is would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks, 

Chris Steinman 

[Scott Gibson]

Hi Chris,

That appears to be a Northern Flicker.

Best,

Scott

Scott Gibson
Wildlife Conservation Biologist, Southeastern Region
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

319 N. Carbonville Rd., Suite A

Price, UT 84501
435-820-6249

segi...@utah.gov

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[CHRIS STEINMAN]

Thanks Scott for the quick reply to my post and question.

Curious to know.... any recommendations on what I could do to help improve its surroundings to help it get through the winter season, or should I just leave it,  and the area it is sleeping in, alone? 

Regards, 

Chris. 

[Rick Haley]

My take is that it's probably best to leave it alone.  It seems to have found what it wants and often our attempts to improve things have the opposite effect.

I agree that based on sparse information, it looks like a flicker.

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[Heaton, Timothy H. (USD)]

Flicker?

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[Kristin Purdy]

Chris,

 

Leave the bird’s roosting area alone, and offer suet, seed, and a water bowl in your yard. You can find these items in the pet food aisle of your grocery store or in any farm store. And of course, Amazon is always open.

 

The Northern Flicker is our most common and largest species of woodpecker at 12” from the tip of its beak to the tip of its tail. As insect-eaters, they particularly love suet, which is rendered fat perhaps including other ingredients like nuts, seeds and fruit. You’ll also find suet cages in the same place you find suet cakes; insert the cake into the cage and hang it from a tree. Expect other suet-eaters like magpies and chickadees.

 

Water is critical for all birds, especially in the winter, and it’s fairly easy to maintain a consistent source without a heater or something expensive. I use a $3.99 galvanized shallow pet dish I found at the IFA. I keep it on a scrap board set on a 90 degree corner of my deck rail, easily seen from my kitchen window. When it’s frozen in the morning, I take a watering can (kept near the deck door) outside, pour warm water on the bottom of the dish until the disk of ice falls out, refill the dish, and place it back on the shelf. Birds will have open water during their most active period in the morning. You can always do the same thing later in the day if it ices over, and I make sure I change the water before dusk, because day birds poop in it and owls that nest and roost in my yard use it.

 

Nearly every bird that uses my yard uses that dish to drink and bathe, including the Northern Flickers. Make it easy on yourself to maintain an open water source in the winter and you’ll help insure the survival of your yard birds.

 

Good Luck.

 

Kris

 

From: moa...@googlegroups.com [mailto:moa...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of CHRIS STEINMAN
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2020 10:39 AM
To: Scott Gibson
Cc: moa...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [MoabBC] help identifying this bird seen in Castle Valley

 

Thanks Scott for the quick reply to my post and question.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/moabbc/1110879819.149175.1605029913693%40connect.xfinity.com.

[Scott Gibson]

I agree with Rick in this regard - it appears to have found a suitable spot for roosting and changing or modifying it could have the opposite effect of abandoning the location.  These guys are year round residents and should do just fine with the cold weather. 

Scott

Scott Gibson
Wildlife Conservation Biologist, Southeastern Region
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

319 N. Carbonville Rd., Suite A

Price, UT 84501
435-820-6249

segi...@utah.gov

[Steve Heinrich]

Hi Chris,

That’s a Northern Flicker. 

On Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 10:32 AM CHRIS STEINMAN <chrisr...@comcast.net> wrote:

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[Steve Heinrich]

Ha! Did not see the response you already had. You are all set

[CHRIS STEINMAN]

Thanks everyone for helping to ID the Northern Flicker that's been visiting as well as your input and recommendations.  - Chris  

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[Preston Bishoff]

Northern flicker

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 10, 2020, at 10:51 AM, Rick Haley <hale...@gmail.com> wrote:



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