Red-rumped woodpecker
| Red-rumped woodpecker | ||||||||||||
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Red-rumped woodpecker (male) |
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| Picus erythropygius | ||||||||||||
| ( Elliot , 1865) |
The black-headed woodpecker ( Picus erythropygius ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). The medium-sized woodpecker species colonizes parts of Southeast Asia and inhabits deciduous forests and open bushland. There is hardly any information about the way of life. As far as is known, the food sought in the upper and lower tree layers as well as on the ground consists mainly of termites , and ants and other invertebrates are also consumed.
The species is considered to be rare to rarely frequent, but the population is estimated to be stable and significant risk factors are not recognizable. The IUCN therefore classifies the red-rumped woodpecker as safe ("least concern").
description
The red-rumped woodpecker resembles the green woodpecker native to Central Europe in terms of habit and green upper wings, but the rest of the coloration is very different. They are medium-sized woodpeckers without a recognizable feather hood, a stiff, long tail and a rather short, point-like, pointed beak that is narrow at the base. The ridge of the beak is slightly bent downwards. The body length is about 33 cm, the weight 100-135 g. This makes them about the size of a green woodpecker, but significantly lighter. The species shows a not very conspicuous sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration .
In males of the nominate form , the entire back is yellow-green. The rump and the middle upper tail coverts are bright red, the other upper tail coverts are olive green with indistinct black lines. The upper wing coverts are predominantly darker green than the back, the umbrella feathers even darker blackish green. The covers of the hands are blackish like the wings; the latter show five to six quite wide white bands, which are narrower on the outer flags of the hand wings . The upper side of the tail is blackish, the central control feathers have green seams and indistinct light bands at the base. The upper breast is bright yellow, the lower breast brownish white with fine arrowhead markings. Towards the belly and on the flanks, the basic color becomes lighter and more whitish, the arrowhead-like or ribbon-like markings are stronger brown or blackish. The under tail-coverts are strongly banded in dark brown on a white background. The lower wings are white or dirty white, the wings banded blackish. The lower tail is slightly lighter than the upper tail.
The head and neck are black, only in the middle of the top of the head is a red spot, which sometimes extends to the upper edge of the eye. Some individuals show a narrow white stripe over the eyes from the upper edge of the eye to the rear edge of the ear covers. The sides of the neck, chin and throat, like the chest, are sharply defined, bright yellow.
The upper beak is gray horn-colored to olive-yellow, the tip is darker. Legs and toes are light gray to gray-green. The iris is very light whitish to lemon yellow, the narrow eye ring is slate gray.
In the female, the red spot on the skull is missing; this part is black like the rest of the head.
Vocalizations
The most common call is loud and two-syllable. Also known is a characteristic, ascending and descending, wailing laugh like "ka-tek-a-tek-a-tek-a-tek" or "tschä-tschä-tschä, tschä-tschä-tschä" , which repeats quickly and over and over stressed on the first sound. It is apparently not yet known whether the animals are drumming.
Systematics
Winkler et al. recognize two very poorly differentiated subspecies:
- Picus erythropygius erythropygius ( Elliot , 1865) - The area of the nominate form comprises the east of the distribution area and extends west to Thailand .
- Picus erythropygius nigrigenis ( Hume , 1874) - Myanmar and western Thailand. Like nominate form, but with a blackish beak; in males the red spot on the upper head is often more extensive.
distribution and habitat
This species of woodpecker inhabits parts of Southeast Asia. The strongly fragmented distribution area extends in west-east direction from northwest Myanmar to southeast Vietnam , in north-south direction from northwest to south Myanmar and from north Thailand over the southern halves of Laos and Cambodia to south Vietnam . The size of the total distribution area is not exactly known.
Red-rumped woodpeckers inhabit deciduous forests, especially dry dipterocarp forests and open bushland. The species occurs in northern Thailand and Vietnam from sea level up to 900 m altitude, but is more common below 600 m.
Way of life
The shy species is usually found in very loud, small groups of two to six individuals, which are often associated with jays or dangling stars (genera Dendrocitta and Crypsirina ). As far as is known, the food sought in the upper and lower tree layers as well as on the ground consists mainly of termites , and ants and other invertebrates are also eaten.
The breeding season should extend from February to June, 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 rare to rarely frequent, but the population is estimated to be stable and significant risk factors are not recognizable. The IUCN therefore classifies the red-rumped woodpecker as safe ("least concern").
Etymology and history of research
The red rump woodpecker was first described in 1865 by Daniel Giraud Elliot under the scientific name Gecinus erythropygius . The type specimen was collected by Louis Rodolphe Germain (1827–1912). In 1758, Carl von Linné introduced the genus Picus . The name goes back to Picus from Roman mythology. The species name erythropygius is a Greek word formation from "erythros ερυθρος " for "red" and "-pugios, pugē -πυγιος, πυγη " for "-steißig, rump, rump".
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. 369
- ↑ Der Rotbürzelspecht at BirdLife International (Online, accessed January 6, 2011)
- ^ Daniel Giraud Elliot, p. 76, plate 3.
- ↑ Carl von Linné, p. 112.
- ↑ James A. Jobling p. 306
- ↑ James A. Jobling, p. 150
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. 150-151 and 368-369.
- James A. Jobling: Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm, London 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4 .
- Daniel Giraud Elliot in Henri Milne Edwards: Rapport sur quelques acquisitions nouvelles faites par la Galerie ornithologique du muséum adressé a l'assemblée des professeurs-adminisrtrateurs, le 17 Octobre 1865 . In: Nouvelles Archives du Museum D'Histoire Naturelle De Paris . tape 1 , 1865, p. 75-78 ( biodiversitylibrary.org ).
- 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 ( [1] ).
Web links
- Picus erythropygius in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Retrieved on January 6 of 2010.
Other web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Picus erythropygius in the Internet Bird Collection