Colaptes

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Colaptes
Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) on top of cactus.jpg
Gilded flicker (Colaptes chrysoides)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Tribe: Picini
Genus: Colaptes
Vigors, 1825
Type species
Cuculus auratus [1]
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

see text

Synonyms

Chrysoptilus
Nesoceleus

Colaptes is a genus of birds in the woodpecker family Picidae. The 14 species are found across the Americas.

Contents

Colaptes woodpeckers typically have a brown or green back and wings with black barring, and a beige to yellowish underside, with black spotting or barring. There are usually colorful markings on the head. Many of these birds particularly the northerly species are more terrestrial than usual among woodpeckers.

Historically, there has been considerable uncertainty in assigning woodpecker species to genera and it is only by comparing DNA sequences that it has become possible to confidently place many of the species.

Taxonomy

The genus Colaptes was introduced by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825 with the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) as the type species. [2] The name is from the Ancient Greek κολάπτης (kolaptēs) meaning "chiseller". [3]

The genus forms part of the woodpecker subfamily Picinae and has a sister relationship to the genus Piculus . The genus Colaptes is a member of the tribe Picini and belongs to a clade that contains five genera: Colaptes, Piculus, Mulleripicus , Dryocopus and Celeus . [4] Some of the relationships between the species within Colaptes are uncertain, with various genetic studies reporting slightly different phylogenies, but it is evident that those species with "flicker" in their common name do not form a monophyletic group. [4] [5] [6]

The genus Colaptes contains 14 species. Of these, one species, the Bermuda flicker, is now extinct: [7]

ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Colaptes rubiginosus Carpintero cariblanco Golden-olive Woodpecker (female) (8598133565).jpg Golden-olive woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosuseast to Guyana, northwestern Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago
Bronze-winged woodpecker Colaptes aeruginosusnortheastern Mexico from Tamaulipas to northern Veracruz
Colaptes auricularis 2945161.jpg Grey-crowned woodpecker Colaptes auricularisMexico
Crimson-mantled Woodpecker - Colombia S4E2671.jpg Crimson-mantled woodpecker Colaptes rivoliiBolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela
Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis).jpg Black-necked woodpecker Colaptes atricollisPeru
Colaptes punctigula Carpintero pechipunteado Spot-breasted Woodpecker (female) (12978805715).jpg Spot-breasted woodpecker Colaptes punctigulaBolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela; also in eastern Panama
Colaptes melanochloros -Bataguassu, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil-8.jpg Green-barred woodpecker Colaptes melanochlorosArgentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
Northern Flicker (29639725760).jpg Northern flicker Colaptes auratusNorth America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and parts of Central America
Gilded Flicker (Colaptes chrysoides) on top of cactus.jpg Gilded flicker Colaptes chrysoidessouthwestern United States and northwestern Mexico
Female. Fernandina's Flicker. Colaptes fernandinae, Endemic - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg Fernandina's flicker Colaptes fernandinaeCuba
Pitio, Malalcahuello 19jul15.jpg Chilean flicker Colaptes pitiusArgentina and Chile
Colaptes rupicola 20070123.jpg Andean flicker Colaptes rupicolaPeru, Chile, eastern Bolivia and northeastern Argentina
Campo Flicker - Flickr - GregTheBusker (1).jpg Campo flicker Colaptes campestrisBrazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina, Suriname

The online edition of the Handbook of the Birds of the World has split five of the species listed above to give a total of 20 species in the genus. None of the splits were based on results of molecular genetic studies. In addition, the common name of the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) was changed to the "yellow-shafted flicker". [8] These splits have not been adopted by the online edition of the Clements Checklist of Birds of the World maintained by ornithologists at Cornell University, [9] nor by the American Ornithological Society. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picinae</span> Subfamily of birds

Picinae containing the true woodpeckers is one of four subfamilies that make up the woodpecker family Picidae. True woodpeckers are found over much of the world, but do not occur in Madagascar or Australasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lark</span> Family of birds

Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occurs in Australia. Habitats vary widely, but many species live in dry regions. When the word "lark" is used without specification, it often refers to the Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodpecker</span> Family of birds (Picidae)

Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known that live in treeless areas, such as rocky hillsides and deserts, and the Gila woodpecker specialises in exploiting cacti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern flicker</span> Member of the woodpecker family

The northern flicker or common flicker is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer, clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names derive from attempts to imitate some of its calls. It is the state bird of Alabama.

<i>Campephilus</i> Genus of birds

Campephilus is a genus of large American woodpeckers in the family Picidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-olive woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The golden-olive woodpecker is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Mexico south and east through Panama, in every mainland South American country except Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.

<i>Dryocopus</i> Genus of birds

Dryocopus is a genus of large powerful woodpeckers, typically 35–45 cm in length. It has representatives in North and South America, Europe, and Asia; some South American species are endangered. It was believed to be closely related to the American genus Campephilus, but it is part of a different lineage of woodpeckers altogether

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ground woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The ground woodpecker is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world. It inhabits rather barren, steep, boulder-strewn slopes in relatively cool hilly and mountainous areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini and has yet to be recorded outside of Southern Africa. It is found in a broad swath running from southwest to northeast, from the Cape Peninsula and Namaqualand to Mpumalanga. It is closely related to the woodpeckers of the genus Campethera, some of which also employ terrestrial foraging strategies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-necked woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The black-necked woodpecker or black-necked flicker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-barred woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The green-barred woodpecker or green-barred flicker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chilean flicker</span> Species of woodpecker

The Chilean flicker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina and Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andean flicker</span> Species of woodpecker

The Andean flicker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

<i>Dendropicos</i> Genus of birds

Dendropicos is a genus of woodpeckers in the family Picidae. They are small woodpeckers that are native to the sub-Saharan woodlands and forests.

<i>Mulleripicus</i> Genus of birds

Mulleripicus is a genus of birds in the woodpecker family Picidae. They are found in South and Southeast Asia. The genus forms part of the woodpecker subfamily Picinae and has a sister relationship to the genus Dryocopus whose species are widely distributed in Eurasia and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-crowned woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The grey-crowned woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to western Mexico.

<i>Piculus</i> Genus of birds

Piculus is a genus of birds in the woodpecker family Picidae that are found in Central and South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crimson-mantled woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The crimson-mantled woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<i>Celeus</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Celeus is a genus of bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae, found in tropical and subtropical forests and woodlands of Central and South America. The genus contains 13 extant species. One, Kaempfer's woodpecker, was believed to be extinct until a specimen was caught in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronze-winged woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The bronze-winged woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to northeastern Mexico.

<i>Chloropicus</i> Genus of birds

Chloropicus is a genus of birds in the woodpecker family Picidae that are native to Sub-Saharan Africa.

References

  1. "Picidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. Vigors, Nicholas Aylward (1825). "Observations on the natural affinities that connect the orders and families of birds". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. 14 (#3): 395-517 [457 Note]. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1823.tb00098.x.
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 113. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. 1 2 Shakya, S.B.; Fuchs, J.; Pons, J.M.; Sheldon, F.H. (2017). "Tapping the woodpecker tree for evolutionary insight". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 116: 182–191. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.005 . PMID   28890006.
  5. Moore, W.S.; Overton, L.C.; Miglia, K.J. (2011). "Mitochondrial DNA based phylogeny of the woodpecker genera Colaptes and Piculus, and implications for the history of woodpecker diversification in South America". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 58 (#1): 76–84. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.09.011. PMID   20863898.
  6. Dufort, Matthew J. (2016). "An augmented supermatrix phylogeny of the avian family Picidae reveals uncertainty deep in the family tree". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94 (Pt A): 313–326. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.08.025. PMID   26416706.
  7. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Woodpeckers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  8. del Hoyo, Joseph (ed.). "Taxonomic structure and notes. Species list: Colaptes". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. "Clements Checklist". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  10. "Checklist of North and Middle American Birds". American Ornithological Society. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  11. "A Classification of the Bird Species of South America: Part 5. Trogoniformes to Psittaciformes". American Ornithological Society. Retrieved 9 August 2019.