Straw woodpecker

Straw woodpecker
	Straw woodpecker ( Celeus flavus )
Systematics
Order :	Woodpecker birds (Piciformes)
Family :	Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Subfamily :	Real woodpeckers (Picinae)
Genre :	Celeus
Type :	Straw woodpecker
Scientific name
	Celeus flavus
	( Statius Müller , 1776)

The cream-colored woodpecker ( Celeus flavus ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). This medium-sized woodpecker, unmistakable due to its distinctive color, has a large distribution area in northern South America . The straw woodpecker mainly inhabits forest habitats close to the water such as Várzea and swamp forests, more rarely gallery forests , mangroves , deciduous forests, tree savannahs up to secondary forests and can also be found in cocoa plantations. Little is known about the way of life of the species. The food, which is mainly sought in the lower and middle tree layers and rarely also on the ground, consists mainly of ants and termites , and fruits and seeds are also eaten.

The species is considered to be quite common, the world population is estimated to be stable and serious threats are currently not recognizable. The straw woodpecker is therefore classified by the IUCN as (= least concern - not endangered).

description

Straw woodpeckers are medium-sized, very distinctive colored woodpeckers with a long hood. The beak is quite long, slightly pointed in the shape of a chisel, curved downwards at the ridge and relatively narrow at the base. The body length is about 24-26 cm, the weight 95-131 g. These woodpeckers are therefore slightly larger and significantly heavier than a woodpecker . The species shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration .

In males of the nominate form C. f. flavus is almost the entire plumage except for the beard, the wings and the tail monochrome cream yellow, light beige, sulfur yellow or occasionally cinnamon white. It is not uncommon for there to be some brown feathers or feather bases, especially on the head and back. The upper wing-coverts are variable in color, but mostly have brown bases and are sometimes completely brown or reddish brown. The color of the wings is also variable, mostly the wings are brown and have reddish maroon inside flags and also colored outside flag borders. The umbrella feathers , like the back, are usually light in one color, but sometimes darker and rarely show one or two dark transverse bands. The upper tail is almost monochrome blackish brown, only the outermost, mostly concealed control spring pair is occasionally lightly banded. The under wing are brownish, the under wing coverts and the axillary feathers are cream beige. The head and neck are colored like the rest of the plumage, only the beard is bright red and occasionally lightly dashed.

The beak is yellowish, legs and toes are dark gray to greenish gray. The iris is red or maroon.

Females lack the red streak of beard, this area is colored like the rest of the head.

Vocalizations

Several calls are known. Most noticeable is a high, clear, laughing stanza such as "wutchuk ... kee-hoo-hoo-hoo, pueer, pueer, purr, paw" or "glew glew glew glew glew" , with the last syllable lower in pitch is. When several individuals meet, these woodpeckers utter calls like “kiu-kiu-kiu-kiu” or “whéejah” , some of which are repeated several times. It is apparently not yet known whether the species drums.

distribution and habitat

This woodpecker has a wide range in northern South America . The area of the species extends in a west-east direction from the east of Colombia , Ecuador and Peru and the north of Bolivia to the east via Venezuela and the Guyanas to the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Espiritu Santo . The size of the total distribution area is estimated at 6.09 million km².

The species mainly inhabits forest habitats close to the water such as Várzea and swamp forests, more rarely gallery forests , mangroves , deciduous forests, tree savannahs up to secondary forests and can also be found in cocoa plantations. The straw woodpecker is essentially limited to the lowlands and occurs up to heights of 700 m.

Systematics

The straw woodpecker apparently shows a very large individual variability. Winkler et al. recognize four subspecies, with intermediate individuals very often occurring:

Celeus f. flavus ( Statius Müller , 1776) - Northern part of the distribution area. The nominate form is described above, it shows the most extensive proportions of reddish brown or chestnut brown on the wings.
Celeus f. peruvianus ( Cory , 1919) - Eastern Peru. Slightly larger than the nominate shape, the reddish brown of the wings is largely or completely replaced by brown.
Celeus f. tectricialis ( Hellmayr , 1922) - Northeastern Brazil ( Maranhão ). Size roughly like nominate shape, but wings more like Celeus f. peruvianus , wing-coverts with a lot of brown and wings with much less red-brown than in the nominate form.
Celeus f. subflavus Sclater & Salvin , 1877 - Eastern Brazil ( Espiritu Santo and Bahia ). Largest subspecies, no reddish brown on the wings, the cover plumage on the upper back and chest shows broad brown bases and centers.

Way of life

Little is known about the way of life of the species. These woodpeckers are also found individually, but mostly in pairs or in small groups of three to four individuals. The food, which is mainly sought in the lower and middle tree layers and only rarely on the ground, consists mainly of tree-dwelling ants of the genus Crematogaster and termites , while straw woodpeckers like to break open the cardboard nests of Crematogaster . In addition, fruits and seeds are also eaten.

The breeding season in Colombia falls from April to June, in Venezuela it probably begins a little earlier. More detailed information on the breeding biology is not yet available.

Existence and endangerment

There is no reliable information on the size of the world population. The species is considered to be quite common, the world population is considered stable and no serious threats are currently recognizable. The straw woodpecker is therefore classified by the IUCN as safe (“least concern”).

swell

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b The straw woodpecker at BirdLife International . Retrieved January 28, 2012.
↑ 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. 334

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. 130-131 and 334.

Web links

Celeus flavus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Accessed January 28, 2012 Design.