| Velasquez's woodpecker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Honduras | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Melanerpes |
| Species: | M. santacruzi |
| Binomial name | |
| Melanerpes santacruzi (Bonaparte, 1838) | |
| Subspecies | |
11, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
Melanerpes aurifrons santacruzi | |
Velasquez's woodpecker (Melanerpes santacruzi) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Mexico to Nicaragua. [1]
The taxonomy of Velasquez's woodpecker has not been settled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) treats it as a species with 11 subspecies. The American Ornithological Society, the Clements taxonomy, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) treat them all as subspecies of the golden-fronted woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons). [1] [2] [3] [4]
This article follows the IOC model. The 11 subspecies are: [1]
As knowledge of this species increased, the number of identified subspecies began as one, increased to four and then five, and then to the current 11. Most of the subspecies intergrade along their contact zones. [5]
Velasquez's woodpecker is 22 to 26 cm (8.7 to 10 in) long and weighs 65 to 102 g (2.3 to 3.6 oz). In general the species has black and white barred upperparts and paler plain underparts with a colored patch on the belly. Adults have tufts of feathers at their nares that are yellow, orange, or red in different subspecies. Males have a red crown; their nape color also varies among yellow, orange, or red in different subspecies, but not always in parallel with the color of the nares. Females have a gray crown and their nape color is generally more buffy to pale yellow. The width of the black and white bars on the upperparts varies, generally from narrower in the north becoming wider in the south. The base color of the tail is black, with an amount of white on the central and outermost pairs of feathers varying from very little in the north to much more in the south. The belly patch is yellow in the north and red in the south. Almost all of the variations are clinal rather than changing abruptly from subspecies to subspecies. [5]
The subspecies of Velasquez's woodpecker are found thus: [1] [5]
Most of the studies of these taxa have concentrated on the golden-fronted woodpecker sensu stricto in Texas so little is known about the habitats frequented by most of the subspecies. M. s. polygrammus occurs in arid tropical scrublands and tropical deciduous forest. [5] In Central America the species inhabits open woodlands, thorn forest, semi-deciduous forest, and pine savannah up to about 1,300 m (4,300 ft). [6]
Velasquez's woodpecker is a year-round resident throughout its range. [5]
The few studies of Velasquez's woodpecker have determined that its diet is adult and larval arthropods, some aerial insects, and much fruit and nuts. The species forages by gleaning, pecking, probing, and least frequently by aerial flycatching. [5]
The breeding season of Velasquez's woodpecker varies geographically but is imperfectly known. No pattern is apparent in the height above ground of the nest cavity, which both sexes excavate. Most clutches are of four or five eggs, and both sexes incubate. The incubation period is 12 to 14 days and fledging occurs about 30 days after hatch. [5]
The call of Velasquez's woodpecker is "a loud, slightly nasal, che'e'e'e" that is repeated up to three times. It "also makes a lower-pitched che-huh. [6]
The IUCN follows HBW taxonomy and so has not assessed Velasquez's woodpecker separately from the golden-fronted woodpecker sensu lato . That species is considered to be of Least Concern, with a stable population. [7]
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 golden-fronted woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the southern United States, Mexico and parts of Central America.
The red-crowned woodpecker is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Tobago.
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.
Hoffmann's woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Honduras south to Costa Rica.
The spot-crowned woodcreeper, is a passerine bird in the subfamily Dendrocolaptinae of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. it is found in Middle America from Mexico to Panama.
The rufous-breasted spinetail is a species of bird in the Furnariinae subfamily of the ovenbird family Furnariidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
The waved woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
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 subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
The beautiful woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of 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 golden-green woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Panama and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.
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.
The olivaceous piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Guatemala south through Central America and western South America to Peru.
The red-stained woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The yellow-vented woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The smoky-brown woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
The bar-bellied woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
The splendid woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the crimson-bellied woodpecker and some taxonomists retain that treatment. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.
