From Opus

Revision as of 20:30, 16 March 2009

Male. Photo by John Keep A male

Melanerpes pucherani

Identification

18.5 cm. Black upperparts, white barring on back, white spotting on wings, white rump, black tail with some white barring, underparts pale buff-olive, red central belly, black patch through eyes and on cheeks, yellow forehead,red nape, red crown in the male and black in the female.

Young birds are duller, have less white above and less red on the belly.

Distribution

Southeast Mexico to western Ecuador.

Taxonomy

Monotypic.

Habitat

Photo by John Keep
Female photographed at Hotel Gavilan near La Selva, Costa Rica

Higher levels of wet forests, semi-open woodland and old second growth.

Behaviour

Breeding

It nests in an unlined hole 6-30 m high in a dead tree. 2-4 glossy white eggs are laid and incubated by both sexes.

Diet

The diet includes insects, fruit and nectar.

Vocalisation

The call is a rattling krrrrrl; both sexes drum on territory.

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