Sultan woodpecker
| Sultan woodpecker | ||||||||||||
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Sultan woodpecker ( Chrysocolaptes lucidus socialis ), female |
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| Chrysocolaptes lucidus | ||||||||||||
| ( Scopoli , 1786) |
The Sultan Woodpecker ( chrysocolaptes lucidus ) is a species of bird from the family of woodpeckers (Picidae). The medium-sized woodpecker species very sparsely populated with numerous geographically isolated (disjoint) occurrences over large parts of Southeast Asia. Numerous subspecies are recognized for the extremely variable species. Sultan woodpeckers are tied to forests and prefer rather moist deciduous forests and evergreen forests. The food sought almost exclusively on large trees rich in dead wood consists mainly of large caterpillars, larvae of wood-dwelling beetles as well as ants and their pupae. The species is common in its large area of distribution and is still classified as not endangered ("least concern") by the IUCN despite the apparently declining populations .
description
Sultan woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers with a pronounced feather hood and a 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 28-34 cm, the weight with great variability depending on the subspecies 110-233 g. They are about the size of a green woodpecker , but in terms of habit and way of life they are more similar to the black woodpecker . The species is extremely variable in terms of coloration and drawing and also shows a clear sexual dimorphism in terms of coloration . In all subspecies, the lower back and rump are blood red, the upper tail-coverts are black, as is the upper side of the tail, and the lower side of the tail is brown-black. Most subspecies also show a white or predominantly white neck and an equally colored uppermost back. The rest of the back, the upper wing ceilings and the umbrella feathers are monochrome gold-olive or dark red, the beard stripe is usually double. In the case of the males, at least the upper head is bright red, in the case of the females the upper head is of a different color and in most of the subspecies its coloration largely corresponds to that of the rest of the head.
Vocalizations
Especially in flight, the animals utter shorter or longer series of calls such as "kauk-kauk" , "kii-djuu-kauw" or only individually "kauw" ; these calls are similar to those of the black woodpecker. A variable call, known as a “rattle call”, consists of quickly lined up, metallic or insect-like sounds such as “di-di-di-di-di” or “tibittitititit” and is uttered both in flight and while sitting. In the vicinity of conspecifics the animals call out in a row like “t-wuit-wuit” . Especially at the beginning of the breeding season the drums are loud, the row of drums lasts about two seconds, their volume first increases and then decreases again.
distribution
This type of woodpecker populates large parts of Southeast Asia including numerous islands with many geographically isolated (disjoint) occurrences. The distribution area extends in west-east direction from west India and south Nepal to the Philippines , in north-south direction from Nepal and south Yunnan in China to Sri Lanka , to east Java and to Bali . The size of the total distribution area is estimated at around 2.89 million km².
Systematics
Numerous subspecies have been described for the extremely variable species. Winkler and Christie recognize 13 subspecies, which are listed here according to their distribution from west to east.
- Chrysocolaptes lucidus guttacristatus ( Tickell , 1833) - from northwest India and Nepal to the east to Yunnan and south to Indochina. Largest subspecies. The back, upper wing covers and the umbrella feathers are gold-olive or gold-green, the wings are blackish with white spots on the inside flags , the outside flags of the arm wings are also gold-olive. The underside of the trunk is white or brownish white with black feathers and spots, the black markings are most intense on the lower throat and chest and become narrower and more brown on the belly and under tail-covers. The lower wings are spotted and banded white on a brown background. The beak is blackish, black-brown or dark gray, legs and toes are greenish-brown. The iris is creamy white to yellowish, more orange on the outer ring of the iris. Males have an olive-brown front forehead, the rest of the forehead, top of the head and bonnet are red and bordered with narrow black towards the bottom. A wide, white over-eye stripe runs from the upper edge of the eye to the back of the head, below that a wide black eye-stripe runs just in front of the eye to the neck. The rein stripe , again white, begins at the base of the beak and runs backwards to the white sides of the neck. The white beard stripe has a narrow black border at the top and bottom, the two black lines unite at the rear end of the beard stripe and run out on the front sides of the neck. The chin and upper throat are white with a black center line. The upper neck is black, the lower neck and the uppermost back are white or whitish, the uppermost back is drawn black to a variable extent for this reason. Females lack the red color of the upper head; upper forehead, skull and hood are black with round white spots.
- Chrysocolaptes l. socialis Koelz , 1939 - along the west coast of India. Very similar to the previous subspecies, but slightly smaller, the upper side is a bit darker and more olive, the red color of the lower back is extended upwards.
- Chrysocolaptes l. stricklandi ( EL Layard , 1854) - Sri Lanka. Smaller than the previous subspecies, the upper side is a solid dark red, the black coloring of the head and neck sides is more extensive, the white stripe above the eyes is much narrower and only indistinctly recognizable in the female. The iris is almost white, the beak pale gray. This subspecies is recognized by the International Ornithologist's Union as a separate species Chrysocolaptes stricklandi , but this separation is not yet generally recognized.
- Chrysocolaptes l. indomalayicus Hesse , 1911 ( Syn . : Chrysocolaptes l. chersonesus Kloss , 1918) - Malaysia , Singapore , Sumatra , West and Central Java . Very similar to Chrysocolaptes l. socialis , but smaller, the white stripe above the eyes is wider and the black markings on the underside of the trunk are more intense.
- Chrysocolaptes l. andrewsi Amadon , 1943 - Northeast Borneo . Similar to the previous subspecies, but larger, the dark markings on the underside of the trunk are more brown than black, the flanks are more banded.
- Chrysocolaptes l. strictus ( Horsfield , 1821) - East Java. Small, the upper side is yellowish green, the lower back dark red with indicated bands or spots, the light areas on the head, neck and chest show a clear brownish tone. Females have a golden-yellow to orange-yellow skull. The beak is gray, the iris very dark reddish brown.
- Chrysocolaptes l. kangeanensis Hoogerwerf , 1963 - East Java Coast, Bali and Kangean Islands . Similar to the previous subspecies, but smaller, the lower back is brighter red, the black facial markings are reduced, the dark markings on the underside of the torso are narrower and more brown, females also have a golden yellow skull.
The following 6 subspecies are endemic to the Philippines, they are relatively small and the iris is bright red.
- Chrysocolaptes l. erythrocephalus Sharpe , 1877 - Balabac , Palawan and Calamian Islands . The only subspecies of the Philippines with a golden-green and slightly red-tinted top. The red color of the back is extended far upwards and with suggested dark bands, the dark markings on the underside of the torso are very narrow. Head and neck coloration differ greatly from the subspecies described so far. In the male, the entire head is almost monochrome red with a dark spot on the lower ear covers and a narrow black stripe of beard, the neck is narrowly black longitudinally striped on a white background. In the female, the head is more brownish red, the top of the head and bonnet show pale gold spots.
- Chrysocolaptes l. lucidus ( Scopoli , 1786) - Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula . The top is red, the underside of the fuselage is dark and strong and broad. The basic color of the head, neck and upper chest is not white, but reddish light brown. The male's forehead, skull and bonnet are red, while the female is dark olive-brown to reddish with dark golden spots.
- Chrysocolaptes l. montanus Ogilvie-Grant , 1905 - most of Mindanao . Similar to the previous subspecies, but somewhat smaller, with a more golden or yellow tinted upper side, the dark underside markings are more brown than black.
- Chrysocolaptes l. rufopunctatus Hargitt , 1889 - Bohol , Leyte , Samar and Panaon . Very similar to C. l. lucidus , but the male's black edged beard is mostly pale red.
- Chrysocolaptes l. xanthocephalus Walden & EL Layard , 1872 - Negros , Guimaras , Panay , Masbate and Ticao . Small and very different in color. The top of the head and hood of the male are red, the sides of the head, neck and entire underside of the trunk are golden yellow, the dark markings are limited to the fore neck and chest. In the female, the head is a solid yellow, often the hood is orange. The bill and legs are pale gray-yellow in both sexes.
- Chrysocolaptes l. haematribon ( Wagler , 1827) - Luzon , Polillo Archipelago and Marinduque . The dark red upper side often shows an olive tone, the rear underside of the fuselage a light brownish tone and on top of it an indistinct, gray-brown banding. The upper head and bonnet of the male are red, the sides of the head and the neck are quite uniformly, strongly, darkly scaled and spotted on a white background. In the female, the entire head is blackish with strong white spots on the skull and cap.
habitat
Sultan woodpeckers are tied to forests and prefer open, moist deciduous forests and evergreen forests with old trees and a lot of standing dead wood . The spectrum of populated habitats is otherwise quite broad and includes primeval forests, older secondary forests , gallery forests , mangroves and also older plantations. The habitats inhabited vary depending on the region, so mangrove is largely avoided on the Indian subcontinent , while the species on the Malay Peninsula as well as on Sumatra and Borneo is largely restricted to mangrove.
The animals occur from sea level to mountains, but there are also clear geographical differences in terms of altitude distribution. In Sri Lanka the population reaches up to 2100 m altitude, in India up to 1800 m and in Nepal up to 900 m, in Southeast Asia only up to 1200 m and in the Philippines from sea level to the altitude limit of the occurrence of wing fruit plants (Dipterocarpaceae) in 600 to 1500 m height.
nutrition
The food that is sought almost exclusively on large trees that are rich in dead wood consists predominantly of insects, especially large caterpillars, larvae of wood-dwelling beetles and ants and their pupae. Occasionally the animals also drink nectar . The food is obtained mainly by chopping on trunks and larger branches, rarely by reading. Sultan woodpeckers chop holes in the wood or remove large pieces of bark with powerful side blows in order to then poke for prey. When the opportunities are favorable, the animals also hunt flying insects, for example swarming termites, from their hide .
Reproduction
Sultan woodpeckers live in pairs, the partners keep in contact with each other through regular calls. The breeding season is different depending on the distribution area. Sultan woodpeckers breed in northern India from March to May, in southern India from December to March, in Sri Lanka from August to April, on the Great Sunda Islands from July to November and in the Philippines from February to August. The caves are made in trees of all kinds at heights between 2 and 20 m, often in trunks of living trees with soft wood. The entrance is vertically oval. The cave is being built by both partners, who may need four weeks for it. The clutch consists of 4 to 5 eggs in the north of the distribution area and only 2 eggs in the south of the area, which are incubated by both parents for 14-15 days. The young birds fly out after 24-26 days and then stay with their parents for a few weeks, possibly until the preparations for the next brood.
In Sri-Lanka, the Ceylon gray toko , one of the species of the hornbill family , occasionally uses abandoned breeding caves of the sultan woodpecker for its own breeding business. The entrance to the breeding caves that the Sultan's Woodpecker has built are just big enough for the female Ceylon gray tokos to slip into.
Existence and endangerment
There is no information on the size of the world population. The population is apparently declining, but the species is described as frequent or at least locally common in its large area of distribution and is therefore still classified by the IUCN as “least concern”.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Sultan Woodpecker at BirdLife International
- ↑ Hans Winkler, David A. Christie, David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995, p. 378.
- ↑ International Ornithologist's Union: IOC World Bird List, version 2.6 - Woodpeckers and Allies. Online ( Memento of July 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on December 18, 2010
- ^ Avibase: Chrysocolaptes stricklandi Online , accessed December 18, 2010.
- ^ Alan Kemp: The Hornbills - Bucerotiformes. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1995, ISBN 0-19-857729-X . P. 156.
literature
- Hans Winkler , David A. Christie, David Nurney: Woodpeckers. A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets, and Wrynecks of the World. Pica Press, Robertsbridge 1995, ISBN 0-395-72043-5 , pp. 154-155 and 377-379.
Web links
- Chrysocolaptes lucidus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Chrysocolaptes lucidus in the Internet Bird Collection
