Red-winged woodpecker
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Red-winged woodpecker ( Picus puniceus ) |
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| Horsfield , 1821 |
The crimson-winged woodpecker ( Picus puniceus ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). The small woodpecker species inhabits parts of Southeast Asia and inhabits evergreen tropical deciduous forests, secondary forests with individual large trees as well as forest fringes and plantations. The food, which is mainly sought in the upper tree layer, consists mainly of ants and termites as well as their eggs and larvae.
The species is common to quite common in its area. Due to the rapid destruction of the primary rainforests in the entire area of distribution, the population is likely to be in decline, but the red-winged woodpecker is still classified by the IUCN as 
(= least concern - not endangered).
description
The red-winged woodpecker resembles the green woodpecker native to Central Europe in terms of green upper wings, but the rest of the coloration and the entire habitus differ greatly. They are small woodpeckers with a pronounced, shaggy feather bonnet, a stiff, long tail and a rather long, chisel-shaped, pointed beak that is broad at the base. The ridge of the beak is only slightly bent downwards. The body length is about 25 cm, the weight 77-96 g. They are only about as big and heavy as a great spotted woodpecker. The species shows a not very conspicuous sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration .
In males of the subspecies Picus puniceus observandus , which occurs in the greater part of the distribution area , the entire back including shoulder feathers and upper tail-coverts is yellowish green, the rump is more yellow and more luminous in color. The upper wing coverts and sometimes also a part of the umbrella feathers are dark blood red, the inner plumes occasionally show a little green. The umbrella feathers are predominantly green, a blood-red area on the outer flags ends variably more or less far in front of the tip. The wings are blackish brown; the outer flags of the wings and the basal edges of the wings are blood red. All wings show pale yellow spots that are quite far apart on the inside flags and most hand wings also on the outside flags. The top of the tail is brownish black. The entire underside of the fuselage is dark olive to olive green, the flanks show light brown spots or arrowhead-like drawings. The under wing are brown, the under wing coverts and the wing bases are banded light yellow for this reason. The lower tail is brownish with an olive wash.
The forehead and skull are dark red, the dark olive-colored feathers are often still visible. The elongated yellow feathers on the back of the head form a hood, this yellow coloring extends to the neck and is occasionally extended to the uppermost back. The rein region is black, the streak of beard is red. The rest of the head and the front and side necks, like the chin and throat, are monochrome olive green.
The upper bill is dark brown or gray-brown, the lower bill clearly yellow or greenish yellow. Legs and toes are dark greenish to olive in color. The iris is red to red-brown, the eye ring is blue-gray.
In the female only the red beard is missing; this part is olive green like the rest of the head.
Vocalizations
The most frequent call is loud and two-syllable “peé-bee” , sometimes longer “peé-dee-dee-dee” . It is presented in short pauses while looking for food or in longer series, for example near a sleeping cave. When encounters with conspecifics, and especially when several birds meet, the birds call out a series of five to seven very deep "peep" sounds. When conspecifics meet at a short distance, soft calls like "wee-eek" are uttered . The drum rolls are quite weak and last less than a second.
Systematics
Winkler et al. recognize three quite well differentiated subspecies:
- Picus puniceus observandus ( Hartert , 1896) - Largest part of the distribution area. The subspecies is described above.
- Picus puniceus puniceus Horsfield , 1821 - Java . The nominate form is larger and darker than the previous subspecies, the underside is largely monochrome black, the throat brown.
- Picus puniceus soligae Meyer de Schauensee & Ripley , 1940 - Island of Nias . Lighter than P. p. observandus , underside more yellow and gray. The red color of the top of the head extends to the hood, so that the extension of the yellow-colored area is much smaller.
According to a molecular genetic investigation including ten of the twelve species still belonging to the genus Picus , the very similar yellow-crested woodpecker ( Picus chlorolophus ) is the sister species of the red-winged woodpecker. These two species in turn form the sister taxon of all other representatives of the genus.
distribution and habitat
The red-winged woodpecker inhabits parts of Southeast Asia. The distribution area extends in west-east direction from south Myanmar and north-west Sumatra to east Borneo , in north-south direction from south Myanmar to the southern tip of Sumatra and to Java. The size of the total distribution area is not exactly known.
Red-winged woodpeckers inhabit evergreen tropical deciduous forests, secondary forests with individual large trees, as well as forest fringes and plantations. The species is mainly restricted to the lowlands below 600 m altitude, but occurs locally up to 900 m altitude and in an area in Malaysia up to 1300 m; especially where the sister species Picus chlorolophus is missing, even up to an altitude of 1500 m. This replaces the red-winged woodpecker at higher altitudes.
Way of life
The red-winged woodpecker is found singly or in pairs, the pairs maintain contact with each other over medium distances. Red-winged woodpeckers also often join mixed flocks of birds. The food that is sought mainly in the crown area of more or less free-standing, large trees on trunks and larger branches consists primarily of ants and termites as well as their eggs and larvae. Food objects are obtained in the bark and in crevices by hammering, probing and reading; the bark is also knocked off.
Breeding red-winged woodpeckers were observed in western Malaysia in January and February, in Borneo in June, and in central Java in September, but these data can only serve as a rough guide to the actual extent of the breeding season. The caves are built high in trees, in one case at a height of 18 m. The clutches contain two to three eggs; further information on the brood biology is not yet available.
Existence and endangerment
Information on the size of the world population is not available. Due to the rapid destruction of the primary rainforests in the entire area of distribution, the population is likely to decline, but the IUCN still classifies the red-winged woodpecker as "least concern".
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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. 358
- ↑ Jérôme Fuchs, Jean-Marc Pons, Per GP Ericson, Céline Bonillo, Arnaud Couloux and Eric Pasquet: Molecular support for a rapid cladogenesis of the woodpecker clade Malarpicini, with further insights into the genus Picus (Piciformes: Picinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48, 2008: pp. 34-46
- ↑ The Redwing Woodpecker at BirdLife International (Online, accessed January 8, 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. 142-143 and 357-358.
Web links
- Picus puniceus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed January 8, 2011th
Other web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Picus puniceus in the Internet Bird Collection