The gold-winged woodpecker, or yellow-shafted flicker as it is now commonly known, is native to eastern North America, and has distinctive yellow shafts on its wings, a grey cap, beige face, and a red bar at the nape of its neck. Although Edwards depicted and described several woodpeckers in his four-volume publication, A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, this particular example has yet to be identified in his published works. Edward's drawing was copied from Mark Catesby's original depiction made in the 1720s while in America and later published as plate 18 of volume one of his The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (London, 1731-1743). This piece is inscribed “36†in the upper left corner.