Gold masked woodpecker

Gold masked woodpecker
	Golden Masked Woodpecker ( Melanerpes flavifrons ), male
Systematics
Order :	Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Family :	Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Subfamily :	Real woodpeckers (Picinae)
Genre :	Melanerpes
Type :	Gold masked woodpecker
Scientific name
	Melanerpes flavifrons
	( Vieillot , 1818)

The yellow-fronted woodpecker ( Melanerpes flavifrons ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). This very small species of woodpecker inhabits a relatively large area in central eastern South America . Goldmask woodpeckers inhabit moist forests, but also sugar cane fields, palm groves and orchards. The diet apparently consists mainly of fruits, berries and seeds. The species is classified by the IUCN as harmless ("least concern") due to its large distribution area and the apparently at least not strongly decreasing population.

features

Goldmask woodpeckers are very small woodpeckers with a long, chisel-shaped, pointed beak that is quite broad at the base. The ridge of the beak is only slightly bent downwards. The body length is about 17 cm, the weight 49-64 g; they are only slightly larger than a small woodpecker , but much heavier. Like most woodpecker species, the species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration , females are also somewhat smaller and more short-beaked than males.

In both sexes, the upper back is strongly dashed in white on a bluish black background, the rest of the back, the rump and the upper tail-coverts are white with some black spots, the upper-tail coverts also have black shaft lines. The upper wing coverts are single-colored, glossy blue-black, the top of the wings is brown-black with a bluish sheen on the outer edges. The inner flags of the arm wings and the shield springs show white bands on this ground. The upper tail is black, the two central feathers often show one or two white bands on the inside flags. The pale gray to yellowish-olive breast is bordered at the bottom by a wide red transverse band that continues down to the belly. The rest of the underside of the trunk is whitish, often tinged with olive or yellowish brown. The flanks, the leg fletching and the under-tail-coverts are banded in a strong, dark, arrow-like manner. The lower wings are brown with white bands. The under tail is brown, the outer feathers are often olive brown.

The beak is black. Legs and toes are olive with a shade of green or brown. The iris is black to blue-black, brown in juveniles. Both sexes show a whitish to orange-yellow eye ring.

The male's forehead is golden yellow, the top of the head and neck are red. A very strong black eye stripe begins at the base of the beak and, encircling the eye above and below, runs over the upper ear covers backwards along the rear sides of the neck to the upper back. The other sides of the head, chin and throat are bright yellow in one color. Females lack the red color of the head; The top of the head and neck are, like the rest of the top, a solid blue-black color.

Vocalizations

The species is very happy to call , the animals often utter a "kikikiki" , the flight calls sound like "benedito" . When conspecifics meet, they call “chlit” in a row . The animals drum and mainly use large trees.

distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the gold masked woodpecker covers a relatively large area in central eastern South America . It stretches across the Brazilian states of Bahia , Goiás , Minas Gerais , Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul south to eastern Paraguay and the state of Misiones in northeast Argentina . The size of the total distribution area is estimated at 1.56 million km².

Goldmask woodpeckers inhabit moist forests, but also the vegetation that replaces them, such as sugar cane plantations, palm groves and orchards. The animals come from the lowlands up to 1800 m altitude.

Systematics

According to Winkler et al. the species forms a super species with the yellow-browed woodpecker . In comparison with populations near the coast, the animals in the northwest of the distribution area are usually much lighter on the underside with a yellowish throat, whitish gray breast and an orange belly spot. However, since the species shows considerable variability across the entire range, Winkler et al. no secure basis for the recognition of subspecies.

Way of life

The animals are usually observed in small groups, with several individuals using the same sleeping dens. The food is hardly known up to now, it apparently consists mainly of fruits, berries and seeds, the latter are also stored in depots.

The breeding season extends in most of the distribution area from January to April. The nest holes are built in trees. Apparently, the animals often breed in groups, up to three males and two females have been observed feeding the young in a cave. The young birds continue to sleep in the breeding cave after they have fled out. Further information on the apparently pronounced social behavior and breeding biology are not yet available.

Existence and endangerment

The species is considered to be relatively common, there is no information on the size of the world population or the population trend. Due to the very large distribution area and the apparently at least not significantly decreasing population, the species is classified as safe by the IUCN (“least concern”).

swell

Individual evidence

^ The Goldmasked Woodpecker at BirdLife International, accessed July 24, 2010
↑ Hans Winkler, David 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 : p. 205.

literature

Hans Winkler , David 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. 58-59 and 205-206.

Web links

Melanerpes flavifrons in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed July 24 of 2010.