- Melanerpes hoffmannii
Identification
18 cm
- Upperparts and wings barred black and white
- White rump
- Pale buffish-grey underparts
- Yellow central belly patch
Male
- Red crown
- White forehead
- Yellow nape
Female
- White crown and forehead
- Yellow nape
Young birds: duller, less white upperparts and less yellow on the belly
Variation
At Tarcoles River in Costa Rica, this species adjoins the very similar Red-crowned Woodpecker. In a narrow region around this river and somewhat to the south, the birds have orange in the rear of their necks, indicating some hybrid origin.
Distribution
South America: found on the Pacific slope of southern Honduras, Nicaragua and northern half of the Pacific slope of Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Deciduous open woodland.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest hole is unlined and high in a dead tree. The 2 or 3 glossy white eggs are incubated by both adults.
Diet
The diet includes insects, often extracted from decaying wood, and fruit and nectar.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Garrigues and Dean 2007. The birds of Costa Rica - a field guide. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-7373-9
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Hoffmann's Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hoffmann%27s_Woodpecker
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1