kóon


Northern Flicker – kóon

Dictionary of Tlingit: kóon – northern flicker
Tlingit Noun Dictionary: kóon – northern flicker
Interior Tlingit Noun Dictionary: kóon- northern flicker (Colaptes auratus)

A distinctive bird, Northern Flickers are a kind of woodpecker, the only one you are likely to see feeding on the ground. They are considered Uncommon to Rare in most of Southeast Alaska. They seem to be most common during migration, but are also known to nest and over-winter in at least some parts of the region. Across North America there are both yellow-shafted and red-shafted flickers. At one time they were considered separate species, but are now considered subspecies of the same species. My impression is that most birds in Southeast Alaska show traits from both forms, and certainly the ones I’ve seen around Sitka do (though my impression is they’re a little more towards the red-shafted end of things).

kóon doesn’t seem to be made up of any smaller meaningful parts that I can see.

Additional photos of Northern Flickers:

1 thought on “kóon”

  1. Yes indeed they are the characters in our stories. I’ve dabbled in storytelling first in a native culture camp as a young man, then as a cultural specialist, and finally while employed as an addictions counselor. Although I recall hearing many of these stories throughout my life as a child I always felt there was something missing from these stories I heard being told. I learned recently of another story that completes the stories I have listened to and have shared with others without the benefit of this piece of the story. Since I have discovered this missing part of our story I have been re-acquainting myself with the characters; like this flicker bird. In our story her name is flicker woman. Thank you for sharing these images. I like looking at them for the inspiration to complete designs I am sketching.

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