| Grey-breasted woodpecker | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Melanerpes |
| Species: | M. hypopolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Melanerpes hypopolius (Wagler, 1829) | |
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The grey-breasted woodpecker (Melanerpes hypopolius) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to the interior of southwestern Mexico.
Areas of domain in Mexico include Guerrero, Morelos, and Puebla. Knowledge of the behavior of this bird was widely unknown before a 1990 study out of the Cooper Ornithological Society which observed six of the birds. [2] The study confirmed the communal roosting habits of the birds, specifically on cacti. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.
Like Gila woodpecker (male has round red crown patch), but pale red on cheek; short black line over eye; much darker and grayer below and on head. [3] It is also similar to the zebra-backed birds of the same genus.
The population is slightly less than 50,000 in its native Mexico, classifying it as a species of least concern for extinction. [3]
Its food source is the fruit of the cactus, similar to that of the grey fox, cactus wren, house finch and lesser long-nosed bat, [4] but cactus fruit is not its only main food source, groups of 3-10 forage for various insects of the region, like cicadas and termites, and sometimes, they even catch flies. [3] The birds work together to scan for food, and they do so in an amiable fashion, never showing outward aggression for food. [5]
The grey-breasted woodpecker behave slightly differently to some other species in their genus, Melanerpes. They don't beg for their parent's attention or for food, but this observable behavior only references when they are not hidden. Fledglings spend most of their time hidden inside cacti, and outwardly do not appear to eat often. [5] The plumage of a fledging differs from that of the adult, featuring darker necks and breasts, and the red crown patch is significantly darker than adults, enough that it is noticeable. [5]
David observed three types of vocalization from the grey-breasted woodpecker, including a loud and aggressive sounding rattle, a "chuck" sound by females when the observer approached nests, and a "yak" sound with a heavy inflection. [5]
Woodpeckers are part of the 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.
The acorn woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, 21 cm (8.3 in) long, with an average weight of 85 g (3.0 oz).
The red-bellied woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States, ranging as far south as Florida and as far north as Canada. Its common name is somewhat misleading, as the most prominent red part of its plumage is on the head; the red-headed woodpecker, however, is another species that is a rather close relative but looks quite different.
The Gila woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker of the desert regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico. In the U.S., they range through southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The ladder-backed woodpecker is a North American woodpecker. Some taxonomic authorities, including the American Ornithological Society, continue to place this species in the genus Picoides.
Lewis's woodpecker is a large North American species of woodpecker which ornithologist Alexander Wilson named after Meriwether Lewis, one of the explorers who surveyed the areas bought by the United States of America as part of the Louisiana Purchase and discovered this species of bird.
The Hispaniolan woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
The scaly-naped amazon, also known as the scaly-naped parrot, mercenary amazon, Tschudi's amazon, mountain parrot, or gray-naped amazon is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found along the Andes in the northern part of South America. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The grey-and-buff woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Myanmar, and southern Thailand, but has become regionally extinct in Singapore. Its natural habitats are lowland and montane tropical or subtropical moist broadleaf forests.
The white-fronted woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found mainly in Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.
The golden-naped woodpecker is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. The species is very closely related to the beautiful woodpecker, which is sometimes treated as the same species. The two species, along with several other species, are sometimes placed in the genus Tripsurus.
The golden-cheeked woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Mexico, in the western, and southwestern coastal strip on the Pacific Ocean, and the western bordering regions of mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. They are distributed in the coast from Sinaloa to Colima.
The yellow-fronted woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay and far northeastern Argentina. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest. It is a fairly common bird with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified its conservation status as "least concern".
The Guadeloupe woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Guadeloupe.
The beautiful woodpecker is a bird species in the woodpecker family (Picidae). It is endemic to Colombia.
The Yucatan woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is sometimes referred to as the red-vented woodpecker. The Yucatan woodpecker is found in Belize and Mexico, and ranges over the entire Yucatán Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
The Jamaican woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to Jamaica. It is known locally simply as "woodpecker." Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
The gray short-tailed bat, or Hahn's short-tailed bat, is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae native to Mexico and Central America.
Communal roosting is an animal behavior where a group of individuals, typically of the same species, congregate in an area for a few hours based on an external signal and will return to the same site with the reappearance of the signal. Environmental signals are often responsible for this grouping, including nightfall, high tide, or rainfall. The distinction between communal roosting and cooperative breeding is the absence of chicks in communal roosts. While communal roosting is generally observed in birds, the behavior has also been seen in bats, primates, and insects. The size of these roosts can measure in the thousands to millions of individuals, especially among avian species.
Cymbopetalum mayanum is a species of plant in family Annonaceae. The specific epithet mayanum refers to the Mayan region in which it is indigenous, specifically the Atlantic lowlands of Guatemala and Honduras. It grows as a tree. It is endangered due to habitat loss from agriculture.
