Bahamian Woodpecker
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Bahama Woodpecker ( Melanerpes superciliaris ) |
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| Melanerpes superciliaris | ||||||||||
| ( Temminck , 1827) |
The West Indian Woodpecker ( Melanerpes superciliaris ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). This medium-sized woodpecker species inhabits numerous islands in the northern Caribbean with five subspecies ; the main Cuban island houses the largest part of the world population. Bahama woodpeckers inhabit a wide range of tree-covered habitats. Most of the food that is sought in trees consists mainly of insects and spiders as well as fruits, and small vertebrates are occasionally eaten. The species is still common despite apparently declining populations and is classified by the IUCN as not endangered ("least concern").
description
Bahama woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers with a long, slightly chisel-shaped, pointed beak that is quite broad at the base. The ridge of the beak is bent downwards. The body length is about 27–32 cm, the weight 83–126 g. This makes them about as big, but significantly lighter, than the gray woodpecker, which is also widespread in Central Europe . Like most woodpecker species, the species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration, females are also less strongly built and slightly more short-beaked than males.
In males of the nominate form , the entire upper side is cross-banded in black on a brownish-white background. These ligaments are less numerous and narrower on the lower back and the upper arm. The white upper tail-coverts also show only narrow, horseshoe-shaped dark bands. Umbrella feathers and arm wings are black with wide white banding. The upper hand covers are black with white tips in the fresh plumage. The upper sides of the hand wings are also black with white tips, the bases are white and form a rather large white wing spot that is conspicuous in flight. The tail is also mostly black on top. The inner flags of the two central control springs are very broadly banded in white and the outer flags have a white base. The two outermost control springs also show a white transverse band on the outer flags. The underside of the torso is predominantly monochrome pale gray with a strong red-brownish tone on the chest, which merges more into olive-yellow towards the lower chest and with more pale yellow-brownish sides. Flanks and under tail-coverts are whitish and show a blackish, arrowhead-like banding on this basis. The middle of the abdomen is diffuse red to orange-red. The wings are more gray underneath, the under wing-coverts are cross-banded in black and white, the underside of the tail is also somewhat paler and more gray towards the outside.
The beak is black, legs and toes are olive-gray. The iris is red-brown.
Males show a light red zone at the base of their beak in front of the eye. The forehead and sides of the head are white to brownish white, the top of the head and neck are red. There is a small black area in front of the eye, which merges upward into a short but strong black stripe over the eyes that runs along the middle of the skull. In the female, the upper head color is interspersed with blackish and white-brownish, the red coloration is limited to the back of the head and neck.
distribution and habitat
The range of the Bahamaspechts includes numerous islands in the northern Caribbean , the largest part of the world population is home to the Cuban main island. The species also occurs on smaller islands in Cuba, on Grand Cayman and on the islands of Grand Bahama , Abaco and San Salvador , which are part of the Bahamas .
Bahamian woodpeckers inhabit a wide range of tree-covered habitats from mangroves and palm plantations to various forest communities. The species occurs from sea level to the mountains.
Systematics
Five subspecies are recognized:
- Melanerpes s. superciliaris ( Temminck , 1827); the nominate form inhabits the main Cuban island, the Centiles Keys and adjacent islands. It is the largest subspecies.
- Melanerpes s. blakei ( Ridgway , 1886); Endemic to the island of Abaco ; overall darker than the nominate form, the white upper side banding is narrower, on the upper back often with a greenish-brown tone, the face and underside are overall darker and grayer, the red coloring at the base of the beak is paler and less extensive.
- Melanerpes s. caymanensis ( Cory , 1886); Endemic to Grand Cayman Island ; The dark banding on the upper side of the trunk and the wing coverts is much narrower than in the nominate form, the tail has a more uniform white banding that extends on the central control feathers to the outer flags, the banding of the upper tail coverts is more irregular, the red color at the base of the beak is paler and less extended. The dark stripe above the eyes is missing, this area is white. In females, the skull is gray-brown and not black.
- Melanerpes s. murceus ( Bangs , 1910); Endemic to the Cuban islands Isla de la Juventud , Cayo Largo and Cayo Real ; Coloring largely like nominate form, but smaller, beak length and wing length are slightly shorter, the tail length is significantly shorter than in the nominate form.
- Melanerpes s. nyeanus ( Ridgway , 1886); Endemic to the islands of Grand Bahama and San Salvador , which belong to the Bahamas ; much smaller than the nominate form and quite variable in color, the black over-eye stripe is shorter or missing, the underside is tinged with green, the upper tail-coverts are rather straight banded across.
nutrition
The food is mainly looked for in trees, occasionally also on the ground, while the animals primarily look for bromeliads . These woodpeckers eat insects and spiders as well as small fruits, and occasionally small vertebrates such as tree frogs and puffer geckos are also eaten. The food is obtained predominantly by reading.
Reproduction
The breeding season extends from January to August. The caves are created in dead trees and palm trees at heights between 2 and 6 m. The clutch usually comprises four eggs. Females can incubate two clutches at the same time, the nestlings are mainly fed by the males. Apparently there are second broods in one season.
Existence and endangerment
There is no information on the size of the world population, the species is at least common in Cuba. The population is apparently declining, but the IUCN still classifies the Bahamian woodpecker as harmless ("least concern").
literature
- Hans Winkler , David A. Christie and David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995, ISBN 0-395-72043-5 , pp. 64-65 and 215-216.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hans Winkler, David A. Christie and David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995: p. 216
Web links
- Melanerpes superciliaris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed on 17 February, 2010.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Melanerpes superciliaris in the Internet Bird Collection
