Chilean Flicker

About the Chilean Flicker

The Chilean flicker (Colaptes pitius) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile. The Chilean flicker was originally described as Picus Pitius. For a time it was put in the monotypic genus Pituipicus that was later merged into Colaptes. The Chilean flicker and Andean flicker (C. rupicola) are sister species.

The Chilean flicker is monotypic. The Chilean flicker is about 30 cm (12 in) long and weighs 100 to 163 g (3.5 to 5.7 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Adult males are dark slate gray from forehead to nape; the last occasionally has a hint of red. They are buffish from their lores around the eye to the nape with fine black or black and red spots on the malar area that show as a diffuse patch. Their chin and throat are buffish white with black spots on the lower throat. Adult females have a buffish malar area with no spots and never any red on the nape. Both sexes have blackish brown upperparts with narrow white to buff-white bars; their rump is white with sometimes a few black spots. Their flight feathers are dark brown with pale... Wikipedia →