From Opus

Male
Photo by John Keep
Hotel Gavilan near La Selva, Costa Rica, March, 2006

Melanerpes pucherani

[edit] 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
• Crown: red in the male and black in the female
  

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

[edit] Distribution

Central and South America
Central America: South-east Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas), Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama
South America: Colombia to westernEcuador

Female
Photo by John Keep
Hotel Gavilan near La Selva, Costa Rica, March, 2006

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Upper and middle levels of humid forests, scattered tall trees, old second growth and roadside trees around farms, woodlands and gardens

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The nest is an unlined hole high up in a dead tree. The clutch of 2-4 glossy white eggs is incubated by both adults.

[edit] Diet

The diet consists mostly of insects, but fruit and nectar are also eaten.

[edit] Vocalisation

The call is a rattling krrrrrl.
Both sexes can be heard drumming.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links