Gilaspecht

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Gilaspecht
Gilaspecht (Melanerpes uropygialis)

Gilaspecht ( Melanerpes uropygialis )

Systematics
Order : Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Family : Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Subfamily : Real woodpeckers (Picinae)
Genre : Melanerpes
Type : Gilaspecht
Scientific name
Uropygial melanerpes
( SF Baird , 1854)

The Gilaspecht ( Melanerpes uropygialis , Spanish [ ˈçila- ], Mexican [ ˈhila- ]) is a species of woodpecker from the genus Melanerpes within the subfamily of the real woodpeckers (Picinae). The very reputation-happy, medium-sized woodpecker is a character bird of the semi-arid and arid regions of the southwestern USA as well as northern and central Mexico .

Appearance

Gilaspecht, female

With a body length of around 24 centimeters and an average wingspan of 45 centimeters, the Gilaspecht is about the size of a variegated woodpecker , but much more compact and massive than this.

The back, top of the wings and the central control feathers are regularly banded in black and white. The outer control springs are black, only the outermost ones have white color inclusions again. The rump is pure white. The neck, head, throat and chest as well as the upper half of the abdomen are light leather-colored without drawing, towards the rump this color changes to yellow. The underside of the control feathers, like the plumage on the upper side, is clearly banded in black and white. Such ligaments also have the flanks in the area of ​​the lower abdomen. The eyes are dark ruby red , the long, very slightly downwardly curved bill is dark slate gray or black.

The sexes are about the same size; the only clearly visible sexual dimorphism is the color of the vertex: this is crimson red in males , but like the rest of the head, throat and breast plumage in females. In flight, a distinctive white spot in the area of ​​the wing bend is noticeable in both sexes .

Possible confusion

With good observation conditions, this woodpecker is unmistakable. With cursory observation or poor visibility, it could be confused with the golden-fronted woodpecker , with which it occurs sympathetically in some regions of northern Mexico . This somewhat larger and also more massive woodpecker is well characterized by the orange-red neck markings that both sexes wear.

distribution and habitat

Distribution area of ​​the Gilaspechte
Typical habitat of the Gila Woodpecker in a saguaro forest near Tucson
orange arrow: nesting hole

The breeding areas of the Gilaspechts are in the southwest of the USA and in northwest Mexico. In the United States, Gila Woodpeckers breed in southeastern California and central and southern Arizona . The species also occurs occasionally in the extreme south of Nevada and in eastern New Mexico . In Mexico, Gila Woodpeckers breed in central and southern Baja California as well as in the western states near the Pacific from Sonora southwards to Aguascalientes .

In this area of ​​distribution, the Gilaspecht inhabits arid and semi-arid landscapes, preferably those that are made up of large Saguaro cacti. In addition, it also occurs in loosely wooded areas, along rivers lined with willow and poplar trees, and occasionally in palm trees. The regular breeding occurrences extend vertically from the coastal level to about 1000 meters above sea level, the highest nesting sites were found at altitudes over 1500 meters.

The species is largely sedentary, but small-scale migrations and seasonal vertical changes in location are observed.

Food and subsistence

The species feeds primarily on insects; Vegetables are taken in regularly depending on availability, but overall they play a secondary role. Cicadas , ants , termites and beetles predominate in the insect diet . Cicadas can be the main prey seasonally. Butterflies are not quantitatively significant . Clutches of various bird species, occasionally also their nestlings, as well as earthworms , small snakes and lizards are captured opportunistically . The vegetable food components consist mainly of the fruits and seeds of various types of cactus, but also of berries, conifer seeds and fruits of cultivated fruits.

Gila woodpeckers obtain their food mainly by searching, poking and drilling. They can be found foraging in all areas of trees and cacti as well as on the ground, where they open ant or termite nests by scratching and pecking. If they are not resting during the hottest hours of the day, they will seek to spend that time under the protective canopy of leaves.

Breeding biology

A Gilaspecht feeds its chicks

Gilaspechts become sexually mature at the end of their first year of life; Whether annuals regularly brood for the first time is just as little known as the length of the pair bond.

Both partners prefer to create the nest cavity in saguaros. After the nest cavity has been hacked out, it has to dry out for a few weeks before it can be used; This is why nesting holes are often built for the next year immediately after the hatchery. Where no saguaros are available, Gila woodpeckers also build their nesting holes in trees, especially in palms or poplars. Often other birds, such as different species of owls, usurp nesting holes of this species of woodpecker. In some regions the introduced European star is becoming a serious competitor for nesting sites.

The main breeding season is between mid-April and mid-May, but fresh clutches can be found until mid-September. Multiple broods are not only frequent when the clutch is lost, there are occasionally even three broods per year. The clutch usually consists of 4–5 (3–6) oval, pure white eggs. It is incubated by both parents for about 14 days. The exact length of the nestling period during which both parents look after the chicks is not known, but is likely to be around 4 weeks. There is also no information about the duration of the tour or about the youth staff .

Systematics

The Gilaspecht is very closely related to the Carolinaspecht ( Melanerpes carolinus ), the Hoffmannspecht ( Melanerpes hoffmannii ), the Bahamaspecht ( Melanerpes superciliaris ) and the golden-fronted woodpecker ( Melanerpes aurifrons ); it occasionally hybridizes with the latter in Mexico.

Some subspecies of the Gilaspecht are described, three are generally recognized. The nominate form Melanerpes uropygialis uropygialis ( Baird, SF , 1854), which occurs in the entire mainland area of ​​the distribution area, the somewhat smaller subspecies Melanerpes uropygialis brewsteri ( Ridgway , 1911) from the southern half of the Baja and the very dark breed Melanerpes uropygialis cardonensis ( Grinnell , 1927 ) from the central and northeastern part of the Baja.

Stock situation

Exact quantitative analyzes are not available. Rough estimates indicate a total population of over 3 million individuals. Regional studies produced different results, but overall a slight decline in the population can be assumed. At the moment the Gilaspecht is not listed in any danger level.

Etymology and history of research

Spencer Fullerton Baird described the Gilaspecht under the name Centurus uropygialis . He gave the Bill Williams Fork River , a tributary of the Colorado River , as the location of the type specimen . It was also William Swainson who first introduced the new genus Melanerpes for the red-headed woodpecker ( Melanerpes erythrocephalus ( Linnaeus , 1758)). Only later was the Gilaspecht assigned to this genus. This name is a combination of the Greek words "melas, melanos, μελας, μελανος " for "black" and "herpēs, herpō ἑρπης, ἑρπω " for "creep, crawl". The specific epithet »uropygialis« is derived from the Latin »uropygium« or from the Greek »ouropygion ουροπυγιον « for »rump«. "Brewsteri" was given in honor of the zoologist William Brewster . "Cardonensis" is derived from the Mexican word "cardón" for a thistle , which in turn refers to the cactus species Pachycereus in Baja California , which belongs to the habitat of this subspecies.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Edwards & Schnell (2000) Distribution
  2. ^ Edwards & Schnell (2000) Breeding
  3. ^ IOC World Bird List Woodpeckers
  4. ↑ a b Spencer Fullerton Baird, p. 120.
  5. ↑ a b Robert Ridgway, p. 32.
  6. ↑ a b Joseph Grinnell, p. 168.
  7. ↑ birdlife
  8. ↑ Carl von Linné, p. 113.
  9. ^ William Swainson, p. 316.
  10. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 246.
  11. ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 387.

literature

  • Holly H. Edwards and Gary D. Schnell: Gila Woodpecker ( Melanerpes uropygialis ), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2000; from The Birds of North America Online, Species 552
  • Roger Tory Peterson: Western Birds . Houghton Mifflin Boston 1990. ISBN 0-395-51749-4
  • James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
  • William Swainson, John Richardson : Fauna boreali-americana, or, The zoology of the northern parts of British America : containing descriptions of the objects of natural history collected on the late northern land expeditions, under command of Captain Sir John Franklin, RN (=  birds . band 2 ). John Murray, London 1831 ( biodiversitylibrary.org [accessed March 31, 2015]).
  • Spencer Fullerton Baird: Descriptions of New Birds collected between Albuquerque, NM, and San Francisco, California, during the Winter of 1853-54, by Dr. CBR Kennerly and HB Mollhausen, naturalists attached to the survey of Pacific RR Route, under Lt. AW Whipple . In: Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia . tape 7 , 1854, pp. 118-120 ( biodiversitylibrary.org [accessed March 31, 2015]).
  • Joseph Grinnell: A New Race of Gila Woodpecker From Lower California . In: The Condor . tape 29 , no. 3 , 1927, pp. 168–169 (English, sora.unm.edu [PDF; 202 kB ; accessed on March 31, 2015]).
  • Robert Ridgway: Diagnoses of some new forms of Picidae . In: Proceedings of The Biological Society of Washington . tape 24 , 1911, pp. 31-35 ( biodiversitylibrary.org [accessed March 31, 2015]).
  • Carl von Linné: Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis . 10th edition. tape 1 . Imprensis Direct Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm 1758 ( gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de [accessed on March 31, 2015]).

Web links

Commons : Gilaspecht ( Melanerpes uropygialis )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files