Help id a woodpecker in NY (1 Viewer)

[DarkFireFalcon]

I still think it's staining, in this case. Perhaps from roosting/nesting in trees that are leaching tanins out of the wood onto their feathers. Given that you have a male and female visiting your feeder with the same condition, maybe they are both picking it up from the tree they are nesting in. That would explain the patchy nature of the yellowish coloration, and the fact that it covers most of the bird.

 

[YoMoe]

OMG I've got to stop reading about this. If you type in Hairy Woodpecker yellow... Google suggests morph or tail feathers. Apparently it is pretty common. I still think my pair are special.

 

[stonechat1]

Okay, could the yellow we are seeing be some kind of artifact from the sunlight and reflection?[...]

No, they are very yellow and the photos are spot on. I have a nikon d300 with an good lens and my monitor is calibrated. [...].

Sorry, YoMoe, not the camera nor the lens are responsible for the photo, it´s allways the photographer. Even if you would be in possession of a Nikon D4.
Please upload the original photo so that we can see the EXIF, therewhile I support KC´s suggestion (could be also the white balance setting/colour temperature).

 

[stonechat1]

OMG I've got to stop reading about this. If you type in Hairy Woodpecker yellow... Google suggests morph or tail feathers. Apparently it is pretty common.[...]

Then use Google Scholar instead wich brings up scientific results and you don´t get a single hit.

BTW, also when you negoitate the Google suggestions on the top, there´s not even one result which fits to your bird or your understanding"(Apparently it is pretty common).
Allways mentioned only a "yellow crown" but nothing else. https://tinyurl.com/q6kubt8

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

Google will suggest different things for each person, depending on their previous browsing. So if you've previously searched for Hairy Woodpecker yellow tail feathers, it will remember..

I don't see any reason to think the color is off. Even KC's manipulated photo still shows that they look dingy and yellowish. YoMoe states they looked yellow in real life..

However, even the article linked to presents only anecdotes, no actual testing was done to determine the cause of the yellow coloration. Given how rare yellow pigment being laid down in areas that are normally white is, I find staining a much more parsimonious explanation. I suspect the main reason they have so many reports from the coastal California area is because that's where they asked people about it.

They are pretty cool birds, I've never seen one so colorful.

 

[YoMoe]

Here is one of the photos straight out of the camera. The only thing I did was crop it when I posted it before. I'll try to include the EXIF data. I also posted the picture of the red bellied woodpecker (several threads above) which was taken within a minute of the hairy woodpecker. Same camera settings same lighting.

 

[YoMoe]

Here Here and Here are photos of yellow hairy woodpeckers. "Common" might have been the wrong word but there are others out there. I also just found a discussion on NY State birds about yellow hairy woodpecker sightings. HERE

 

[stonechat1]

Thanks for the update, YoMoe! As photographer I "dislike" the automatic setting at the white balance but it shouldn´t be the reason for the yellow colour.
I think DFF is right when mentioning that it might be staining from a tree. Maybe from a fresh nesting hole?
But I´m not familiar with this things. Regards

 

[DarkFireFalcon]

In all the photos you linked to, and even in your birds somewhat, where the most intense yellow occurs you can see that the feathers are a little matted together, which indicates staining to me.

If it were actually a pigment problem, I'd expect the red patch on the nape to turn yellow, like this bird: http://ctaudubon.blogspot.com/2013/01/hairy-woodpecker-with-yellow-patches.html

 

[YoMoe]

I contacted my local Audubon society. A local Ornithology Professor said: "Looks like the result of a wet night in a nest hole in a black walnut. This kind of staining is probably acquired from the environment and not genetic."