- Camarhynchus pallidus
Identification
15 cm. Sexes similar, dark bill in breeding male and yellowish bill otherwise.
Upperparts brown or olive-brown, with little streaking, underparts white with slight streaking on breast.
Variation
A photo in Birds of the World online shows a bird with black hood from San Christobal, with a note from the photographer that on this particular island, about 5% of the population shows that hood[3]. The subspecies there is also more streaked than the other two.
Distribution
Most of the larger islands in Galapagos Islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- C. p. pallidus:
- Galapagos Islands (Santiago, Rábida, Seymour, Pinzón, Santa Cruz, Floreana Islands)
- C. p. productus:
- Galapagos Islands (Isabela and Fernandina)
- C. p. striatipecta:
- San Cristóbal Island (Galapagos Islands)
Habitat
Found in several habitats but most common in the transition zone and up into the evergreen forest at higher elevations.
Behaviour
It uses a twig, stick, or cactus spine as a tool to dislodge invertebrate prey such as grubs from trees.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Swash, A & R Still 2005. Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands, 2nd ed. Christopher Helm and Wildguides Ldt. ISBN 978-0-7136-7551-1
- Jaramillo, A., D. A. Christie, and C.J. Sharpe (2020). Woodpecker Finch (Camarhynchus pallidus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.woofin1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Woodpecker Finch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Woodpecker_Finch
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
