Short-tailed woodpecker

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Short-tailed woodpecker
Short-tailed woodpecker (female)

Short-tailed woodpecker (female)

Systematics
Order : Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Family : Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Subfamily : Real woodpeckers (Picinae)
Genre : Hemicircus
Type : Short-tailed woodpecker
Scientific name
Hemicircus concretus
( Temminck , 1821)

The short-tailed woodpecker ( hemicircus concretus ), also sometimes referred to as Java short-tailed woodpecker called, is a species from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). This very small woodpecker is common over large parts of Southeast Asia. The species is also found in the tropical rainforest, but prefers more open habitats such as evergreen secondary forests , forest fringes, gardens and plantations and seems to have a particular preference for bamboo . Food is sought primarily on the branches and leaves of the tree canopy, but also on trunks and dead branches near the canopy. So far, there is hardly any information available on the food spectrum. The population is evidently declining, but the short-tailed woodpecker is still classified by the IUCN as safe (“least concern”).

description

Short-tailed woodpeckers are very small, rounded woodpeckers with a thin neck, a large head with a pronounced hood and a very short, rounded and only slightly stiff tail that is only slightly bent forward towards the tip. The rather long beak is straight, chisel-shaped and pointed and quite broad at the base. The body length is 13-14 cm, the weight 27-32 g. The species is smaller than a small woodpecker , but much heavier. It shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of color . Females also have shorter bills than males.

Overall, these woodpeckers are blackish, whitish and gray in contrast. In the male of the subspecies Hemicircus c. sordidus , the rump is whitish and usually has a beige tone due to the sticky, resin-like substance typical of the species in the dorsal plumage. The rest of the upper side of the trunk including the upper wing-coverts is dark brown-black or black with wide white or beige-white feather edges and tips. The upper tail-coverts are black and have white tips. The umbrella feathers are also black with light beige edges or tips or overall pale beige with large heart-shaped, black subterminal spots. The wings are black; the inner flags of the hand wings are lined with beige and white , the arm wings have some whitish beige bands. The control feathers are black on the top, occasionally the outer control feathers in particular show light-colored bands.

The underside of the trunk including the throat is a solid dark gray, towards the belly with an olive or brown tone. Flanks and under tail-coverts are banded black and beige-white. The lower wings are blackish, the hand wings show a beige spot on the bases. The under wing coverts are banded beige or black and white. The underside of the tail is black like the top.

The forehead, skull and front cap are red, the neck is whitish. The rest of the head and neck, like the underside of the trunk, are dark gray. A whitish line runs down from the back beard area on the sides of the neck. The beak is gray-black, legs and toes are dark brown. The iris is red-brown.

In females the red plumage on the head is missing, these areas are dark gray like the rest of the head.

Vocalizations

The most frequent calls are sharp and high- pitched “chick” , “pit” or “tsip” sounds as well as drawn out and more two-syllable calls such as “piiiew” , “ki-uuu” or “ki-jauuh” , which are uttered when conspecifics meet and also go hand in hand with the bucking of the hood. Furthermore, a vibrating “chitterrr” is uttered in intra-species disputes. Short-tailed woodpeckers only drum softly.

distribution and habitat

This woodpecker is common over large parts of Southeast Asia. The distribution area extends in west-east direction from northwest Sumatra to east Borneo and in western and central Java , in north-south direction from south Myanmar and Thailand to Java. The size of the total distribution area is not exactly known.

The species is also found in the tropical rainforest, but prefers more open habitats such as evergreen secondary forests , forest fringes, gardens and plantations and seems to have a particular preference for bamboo . The occurrence is largely limited to the lowlands and the animals occur on the Southeast Asian mainland up to 900–1000 m, on Borneo up to 1500 m.

Systematics

Two well-differentiated subspecies are recognized:

  • Hemicircus concretus sordidus ( Eyton , 1845) ; largest part of the distribution area.
  • Hemicircus c. concretus ( Temminck 1821) ; the distribution area of ​​the nominate form is limited to western and central Java. Overall somewhat larger and darker than the previous subspecies, neck darker and the rear underside of the trunk darker black-gray, in the male the entire hood is red.

Way of life

Short-tailed woodpeckers have been observed in flocks of up to 10 individuals and also together with other bird species. Food is sought primarily on the branches and leaves of the tree tops, but also on trunks and dead branches near the crown; the species is only occasionally observed lower in bushes. Short-tailed woodpeckers are particularly fond of looking for individual trees that stand out from the rest of the vegetation, even if they are isolated in the open landscape; the animals also fly long distances. Food objects are obtained primarily by reading them, but also often by chopping, and less often bark is chipped off and poked into cavities. Short-tailed woodpeckers move very quickly in the dense canopy between twigs, branches and dense clusters of leaves. They bounce and bend, peek under leaves and hang like a tit on their back on branches and fruits. On trunks, the species acts in all directions at lightning speed and can also move headfirst almost vertically downwards. So far there is hardly any information on the food spectrum, among other things, eating fruit has been proven.

The breeding season in Malaysia apparently extends from April to July, in Java from May to June. Apparently the breeding caves and in some cases several sleeping caves are not infrequently placed close together, they are located at heights between 9 and 30 m. Further information on the breeding biology is not yet available.

Existence and endangerment

There is no information on population size, but the species is nowhere considered common in its large range. The population is evidently declining, but the short-tailed woodpecker is still classified by the IUCN as safe (“least concern”).

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Hemicircus concretus . ( Online , accessed September 20, 2010)
  2. ↑ Hans Winkler, David Christie and David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995: p. 389.

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. 162-163 and 389-390.

Web links

Commons : Short-tailed Woodpecker  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Other web links