Burma Green Woodpecker
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Burma Green Woodpecker ( Picus viridanus ) |
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| Picus viridanus | ||||||||||||
| Blyth , 1843 |
The Burma Green Woodpecker ( Picus viridanus ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). The medium-sized woodpecker lives in a relatively small area in South Asia and inhabits a wide range of moist to dry forest types from evergreen tropical rainforests and secondary forests to mangroves and coastal scrubland. There is hardly any information on the way of life that, as far as known, consists mainly of ants, the food sought on the ground and on moss-covered trees and rocks.
The species is considered to be less common to locally quite common. The population is evidently declining, but the Burma green woodpecker is still classified by the IUCN as safe (“least concern”).
description
The Burma green woodpecker is a typical representative of the genus Picus and is similar in habit and color to the green woodpecker, which is also native to Central Europe . They are medium-sized woodpeckers with an indistinct feather bonnet, a stiff, long tail and a relatively long, slightly chisel-shaped, pointed beak that is quite broad at the base. The body length is 30–33 cm, the weight about 90–120 g. This makes them about the size of a green woodpecker, but significantly lighter. The species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration , females also have a slightly shorter beak than the males.
In males, the entire back including the shoulder feathers is bronze-green, the rump is dull yellow-green, the upper tail-coverts are olive-green. The upper wing ceilings and the umbrella feathers are dark bronze green and darker than the back. The wings are blackish brown, the arm wings have bronze-green outer flags and the complete hand wings as well as the inside flags of the arm wings are banded narrowly, light beige-white. The tail is blackish top, most or all tail feathers show indistinct brownish binding. The fletching of the chest and belly shows whitish or beige hems, points and shaft lines on an olive-green background that is lighter towards the belly, creating a strong scale pattern. The under tail-coverts are dashed dark olive on a whitish background. The under wing-coverts are white with olive banding, the wings are brownish with whitish bands. The lower tail is drawn like the upper tail, but a little lighter overall.
The forehead, top of the head and hood are red, this red area is narrowly bordered in black from the forehead to the back of the head. A very narrow white eye ring continues as a narrow over-eye stripe to the back of the head. The ear covers and the lower cheeks are dirty white to grayish or beige in color and have fine dark lines. The narrow rein strip is whitish beige. The strong and distinct beard stripe is dashed in black and clearly white. The chin and throat are pale brown, the throat usually shows a clear green or olive tone and white dots of variable thickness. The sides of the neck and nape are yellow-green with a bronze tone.
The beak is dirty yellow, the ridge and tip are blackish. The lower jaw is paler. Legs and toes are gray-green. The iris is red-brown; more red in many, possibly most of the individuals.
In the female, the red areas on the head are missing; The forehead, skull and hood are black.
Vocalizations
Individual, explosive "kirrrr" calls, which distinguish the species from the net- bellied woodpecker , are known. In addition, lined up calls such as "tscheu-tscheu-tscheu-tscheu" are uttered . The drum rolls have apparently not yet been described.
Systematics
Winkler et al. do not recognize any subspecies, but indicate a need for research, especially for the south-west of Thailand, where the Burma green woodpecker and the net-bellied woodpecker ( Picus vittatus ) occur sympatric . According to Winkler et al. a super species .
distribution and habitat
This species of woodpecker inhabits a relatively small area in South Asia. The previously unknown distribution area ranges from about 22 ° N in Myanmar in a very narrow sector to the southwest and south of Thailand at about 7 ° N. The size of the total distribution area is not known.
Burma green woodpeckers inhabit a wide range of moist to dry forest types, from evergreen tropical rainforests and secondary forests to mangroves and coastal scrubland. In the west and south-west of Thailand with the sympathetic occurrence of the net-bellied woodpecker, the species is restricted to the humid, evergreen rainforest of the hill country.
Way of life
There is hardly any information about the way of life of the species. As far as is known, the food sought on the ground and on moss-covered trees and rocks consists mainly of ants. In Myanmar, incubation takes place between February and April; further information on the breeding biology is not yet available.
Existence and endangerment
Information on the size of the world population is not available. The species is considered to be less common to locally quite common. The population is evidently declining, but the Burma green woodpecker is still classified by the IUCN as safe (“least concern”).
swell
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. 361
- ↑ The Burma Green Woodpecker at BirdLife International (online, accessed January 2, 2011)
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. 146-147 and 361.
Web links
- Picus viridanus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Retrieved on January 2 2011th
Other web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Picus viridanus in the Internet Bird Collection