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Glite Dictionary
yellow-shafted flicker

yellow-shafted flicker

9.9
A large woodpecker with yellow feathers under its wings and tail and a red patch on its neck
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : pájaro carpintero de alas amarillas
  • The yellow-shafted flicker is often seen feeding on the ground for ants and beetles.

Examples

  • Unlike other woodpeckers, the yellow-shafted flicker frequently forages on lawns and open fields.

  • The yellow-shafted flicker is often seen in backyards.

  • I spotted a yellow-shafted flicker perched on the fence post early this morning.

  • Did you spot a yellow-shafted flicker at the park?

  • The yellow-shafted flicker is often seen foraging for insects on tree trunks in the forests of eastern North America.

  • While hiking, I spotted a yellow-shafted flicker tapping on a tree, its vibrant yellow wings catching the sunlight.

  • Birdwatchers eagerly noted the presence of a yellow-shafted flicker near the park's edge, excited to observe its distinctive markings.

Synonyms

flicker
vsyellow-shafted flicker
  • US
1 7.4

A large woodpecker with brown spotted feathers that often feeds on the ground

is the eastern yellowish form rather than the general brown spotted type
Colaptes auratus
vsyellow-shafted flicker
  • Specialized
9.9

A large woodpecker in eastern North America with a red neck and yellow undersides on its wings and tail

is the regional form noted for yellow coloring on wing and tail undersides
yellowhammer
vsyellow-shafted flicker
  • US
9.9

A large North American woodpecker with a red neck and yellow underwings and tail

is the eastern variant distinguished by yellow underwing and tail feathers

Surface Forms

yellow-shafted flicker singular
yellow-shafted flickers plural

Morphology

yellow-shafted + flicker

Although 'yellow-shafted' isn't listed in the dictionary entry, it is analyzable as 'having yellow shafts' (i.e. yellow-colored feather shafts), and when combined with 'flicker' (a type of woodpecker) yields a descriptive species name. A B1 learner who knows 'yellow' and 'flicker' can reasonably infer this refers to a flicker with yellow coloring, so the phrase is compositionally transparent.

Etymology

Yellow-shafted flicker is a name that points to the bird's bright yellow color on the middle parts of its wing and tail feathers, called the 'shafts', and flicker is a common name for this kind of woodpecker. So the name tells you it is a woodpecker with yellow underwings and tail.