Two woodpeckers, both males????

Yesterday, my DH and I were sitting outside and a woodpecker came to this dead tree and started making a call. Then another answered from far away and then they both came to the branch.

They then started doing a 'dance' with weaving, bobbing and throaty calls. It looked like a mating dance, however, they both have red on them and I thought that meant they were males. so was it a mating dance or a war dance? LOL

Here is a youTube video of it too. I am going to post another one, but it takes a loooong time for me to do that, so I will try to get that done tomorrow. http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=SQXVTB45dL0

Here is a still picture of the two of them in the tree.

Susan
=^..^=

They're Northern Flickers, Yellow-shafted subspecies. In this subspecies, both sexes have a red patch on the back of the head. But males have a black moustache, females don't, so you have a male (left) and a female (right) there.

Resin

Nice pic and video 9kitty! Thanks for posting it.

way cool Susan!

Good shot and video, Susan. A treat to see such behaviour.

Wow Susan - waaaaay cool! I just looked at the photo but yep they are Flickers and like Resin said they both have a red patch. I am sooo envious.
Hope you get lots of days of enjoyment from they wonders.
Dianne

Thank you so much! That was such a special thing to watch and actually have the camera ready and available. LOL

You can't hear them as well as I thought in the video, they were really 'talking' it up. So precious! I didn't realize this was mating season. hummm

Susan
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Cool video! I have flickers and see/hear them often. But have never see a pair together!

Is it mating season? I didn't think it was.

Not the mating season, but daylength is the same now as in the spring mating season and temperatures similar, so they are often 'confused' a bit and carry on a little temporary courtship.

Resin