Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Encyclopedia
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is a very large woodpecker
which is a resident breeding bird
from Panama
south to northern border regions of Argentina
, and on Trinidad
.
The habitat of this species is forests and more open woodland. A nesting hole is excavated in large dead trees. The entrance is fairly large, about 45 to 50 cm (18-20 in) in diameter, and oval-shaped.
Female lays 2 to 3 white eggs, sometimes four. Incubation lasts about 9 to 14 days, by both sexes. Woodpeckers have short incubation period, but at contrary, nesting period is longer than in other birds’ species. Chicks are brooded and fed by both parents, and remain at nest for 3 to 4 weeks after hatching. Young remain within the family group until next breeding season.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is 33-38 cm (13-15 in) long and weighs 180-285 grams (6.4-10 oz). It is one of the largest woodpeckers in its range, though the higher elevation Powerful Woodpecker
is roughly the same size.
It is all black above, has a red crest and has white lines running down the sides of the black throat and shoulders, which meet in a V on the back. The underparts are white, heavily barred with black. They show white on the wings in flight. Adult males have a red line from the bill to the throat and red on the front of the crown. In adult females, these plumage features are black.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker somewhat resembles the Pileated Woodpecker
of North America
, but may be confused in its own range with the Lineated Woodpecker
. The Lineated Woodpecker is the only bird of similar plumage and size. In that species, the white face line is narrower, and the white shoulder lines do not meet on the back.
Crimson-crested Woodpeckers chip out holes, often quite large, while searching out insects in trees. They mainly eat wood-boring insect
s and larvae, as well as ant
s, termite
s, small vertebrate
s and caterpillar
s. The animal matter is sometimes supplemented with berries. Several of these large woodpeckers may be seen (4 or more) attracted to the same dead tree while feeding.
The call of this widespread but wary bird is a loud, ringing CHEE-sic. Both sexes drum.
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
which is a resident breeding bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
from Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
south to northern border regions of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and on Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
The habitat of this species is forests and more open woodland. A nesting hole is excavated in large dead trees. The entrance is fairly large, about 45 to 50 cm (18-20 in) in diameter, and oval-shaped.
Female lays 2 to 3 white eggs, sometimes four. Incubation lasts about 9 to 14 days, by both sexes. Woodpeckers have short incubation period, but at contrary, nesting period is longer than in other birds’ species. Chicks are brooded and fed by both parents, and remain at nest for 3 to 4 weeks after hatching. Young remain within the family group until next breeding season.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is 33-38 cm (13-15 in) long and weighs 180-285 grams (6.4-10 oz). It is one of the largest woodpeckers in its range, though the higher elevation Powerful Woodpecker
Powerful Woodpecker
The Powerful Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. This little-known species is a large woodpecker, 33–38 cm long, and is a close relative to the North American Ivory-billed Woodpecker.Its natural habitat is subtropical...
is roughly the same size.
It is all black above, has a red crest and has white lines running down the sides of the black throat and shoulders, which meet in a V on the back. The underparts are white, heavily barred with black. They show white on the wings in flight. Adult males have a red line from the bill to the throat and red on the front of the crown. In adult females, these plumage features are black.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker somewhat resembles the Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, but may be confused in its own range with the Lineated Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
The Lineated Woodpecker is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from Mexico south to northern Argentina and on Trinidad.-Description:The Lineated Woodpecker is long...
. The Lineated Woodpecker is the only bird of similar plumage and size. In that species, the white face line is narrower, and the white shoulder lines do not meet on the back.
Crimson-crested Woodpeckers chip out holes, often quite large, while searching out insects in trees. They mainly eat wood-boring insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and larvae, as well as ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
s, small vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s and caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s. The animal matter is sometimes supplemented with berries. Several of these large woodpeckers may be seen (4 or more) attracted to the same dead tree while feeding.
The call of this widespread but wary bird is a loud, ringing CHEE-sic. Both sexes drum.
External links
- http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-crimson-crested-woodpecker.html on Oiseaux Birds
- Crimson-crested Woodpecker videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
) with RangeMap - Crimson-crested Woodpecker photo gallery VIREO