Photography of Birds – Set # 108

Set # 108

Red-headed Woodpecker

Adults are strikingly tri-colored, with a black back and tail and a red head and neck. Their underparts are mainly white. The wings are black with white secondary remiges. Adult males and females are identical in plumage. Juveniles have very similar markings, but have an all grey head. While red-bellied woodpeckers have some bright red on the backs of their necks and heads, red-headed woodpeckers have a much deeper red that covers their entire heads and necks, as well as a dramatically different overall plumage pattern.

Northern Flicker

According to an article published in Ibis, the availability of food affects the coloration of feathers in nestlings. The article focused on the correlation between melanin spots and carotenoid-based coloration on the wings of nestlings with food stress via indirect manipulation of brood size. The article found that there was a positive correlation between the quality of the nestlings’ diet and T-cell-mediated immune response. T-cell-mediated immune response was found to be positively correlated with brightness of pigmentation in flight feathers, but not related to melanin spot intensity.

Tags: birding, birds, Interesting information, Northern Flicker, PHOTO SETS, photography, photos of birds, Red-headed woodpecker

14 thoughts on “Photography of Birds – Set # 108”

aussiebirder on August 10, 2020 at 8:13 am said:

Very interesting HJ

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 4:47 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Ashley. 🙂
  
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susanpoozan on August 10, 2020 at 8:35 am said:

That wood pecker must be very special.

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 4:49 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much, Susan. 🙂
  
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Indira on August 10, 2020 at 9:15 am said:

Awesome woodpecker!

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 4:52 pm said:
  
  Thank you so much, Indira. 🙂
  
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de Wets Wild on August 10, 2020 at 11:42 am said:

Seems the show-off Woodpecker and the shy Flicker are on opposite sides of the personality scale, but they are equally beautiful (and both wonderfully photographed, H.J.)

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 4:58 pm said:
  
  Both birds are beautiful and as you have brilliantly analyzed, one is timid and the other is leaning toward being an extrovert. Thank you, D. 🙂
  
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sv-anui.com on August 10, 2020 at 4:51 pm said:

Both very striking, HJ.

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 5:04 pm said:
  
  Thank you so much, Chris. 🙂
  
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tootlepedal on August 10, 2020 at 6:19 pm said:

The red headed woodpecker is very striking.

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 10, 2020 at 8:58 pm said:
  
  Yes! Thank you, Tom. 🙂
  
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tanjabrittonwriter on August 10, 2020 at 10:03 pm said:

Nice captures, H.J. I find all woodpeckers fascinating.

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- H.J. for avian101 on August 11, 2020 at 3:28 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much, Tanja. 🙂
  
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