From Opus

Male
Photo by jtwood
Costa Rica, November 2008

Melanerpes hoffmannii

[edit] Identification

18 cm

• Upperparts and wings barred black and white
• White rump
• Pale buffish-grey underparts
• Yellow central belly patch
  

Male

Female
Photo by DiggitalD
Alajuela, Costa Rica

• 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] Distribution

South America: found on the Pacific slope of southern Honduras, Nicaragua and northern half of the Pacific slope of Costa Rica.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Deciduous open woodland.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The nest hole is unlined and high in a dead tree. The 2 or 3 glossy white eggs are incubated by both adults.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, often extracted from decaying wood, and fruit and nectar.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Garrigues and Dean 2007. The birds of Costa Rica - a field guide. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-7373-9
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links