Black-headed woodpecker explained

The black-headed woodpecker (Picus erythropygius) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It typically inhabits deciduous and coniferous forests and is found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Description

The black-headed woodpecker is a medium-sized bird at around 33 cm tall and 100-135g. Adult birds have very distinct plumage and have a black face, yellow throat, green wings, a red lower back, and a white stomach.[1] They also have white/yellow eyes and some individuals have a thin white line from their eye to their neck. Males have a red crown, while females have a completely black crown with no red. Juveniles are less pigmented than adults and juvenile males have fewer red crown feathers on their heads.

Taxonomy

The black-headed woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae and the genus Picus. They have been considered to be most closely related to the European green woodpecker (P. viridis) and the grey-headed woodpecker (P. canus).[2] However, recent studies have challenged this original phylogenetic relationship.[3]

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies of the black-headed woodpecker:[4]

Distribution and habitat

Black-headed woodpeckers are found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are most commonly found in the mid-story and sub-canopy of deciduous and coniferous forests.[6] They usually prefer dry dipterocarp forests, semi-evergreen forests, riverine forests, and savanna forests.[7] [8] They are also resident birds.

Behaviour and ecology

Diet

Black-headed woodpeckers, like most woodpeckers, are insectivorous and glean insects on the bark of trees.[9] They most commonly consume termites, but they also eat ants and other insects and invertebrates.

Vocalization

Their song is a loud series of yelps that sound similar to laughing. These yelps ("ka-tek-a-tek-a-tek-a-tek" or "cha-cha-cha, cha-cha-cha") are rapidly repeated and the first note is emphasized.

Reproduction

Little is known about their reproduction, but they reproduce between February–June and nest within trees. They also have around 3-4 eggs. In a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai, their nests were occupied in May.[10]

Flocks

Black-headed woodpeckers are usually found in groups with other bird species. These bird waves consist of larger flock sizes, which allow birds to worry less about predators and spend more time foraging.[11] Black-headed woodpeckers are typically found in flocks with white-crested laughingthrushes (Garrulax leucolophus), lesser necklaced laughingthrushes (Garrulax monileger), and greater racket-tailed drongos (Dicrurus paradiseus). In these flocks, black-headed woodpeckers, along with the other birds, produce alarm calls when predators approach.

Parasites

The black-headed woodpecker is vulnerable to many parasites, including avian haemoproteid parasite, Haemoproteus bennetti, which has been detected in its blood.[12] They are also susceptible to Picidae-specific parasites, including chewing lice, Picicola roberti, and quill mites, Picobia heeri, which inhabit the feather quills.[13] [14]

Status and Conservation

The black-headed woodpecker is currently classified as least concern, but populations are decreasing. This is mostly due to habitat destruction caused by human settlements and agricultural fields.[15]

In 2003, the black-headed woodpecker was declared a protected wildlife species by the Thai government.[16] The species is also found in many wildlife sanctuaries across Thailand.[17] [18]

References

  1. Web site: Black-headed Woodpecker – eBird. 2021-11-10. ebird.org. en.
  2. Fuchs. Jérôme. Pons. Jean-Marc. Ericson. Per G.P.. Bonillo. Céline. Couloux. Arnaud. Pasquet. Eric. 2008. Molecular support for a rapid cladogenesis of the woodpecker clade Malarpicini, with further insights into the genus Picus (Piciformes: Picinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. en. 48. 1. 34–46. 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.036. 18487062 .
  3. Pons. J.-M.. Olioso. G.. Cruaud. C.. Fuchs. J.. 2010-10-05. Phylogeography of the Eurasian green woodpecker (Picus viridis). Journal of Biogeography. en. 38. 2. 311–325. 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02401.x. 85704825 .
  4. Web site: Picus erythropygius. live. 2021-11-10. ITIS – Integrated Taxonomic Information System. https://web.archive.org/web/20111023000645/http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=554124 . 23 October 2011 .
  5. de Schauensee. Rodolphe Meyer. 1946. On Siamese Birds. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 98. 1–82. 4064390 . 0097-3157.
  6. Mittermeier. John C.. Sandvig. Erik M.. Jocque. Merlijn. 2019. Surveys in 2018 along the Mekong River, northern Kratie province, Cambodia, indicate a decade of declines in populations of threatened bird species. BirdingASIA. 32. 80–89.
  7. Stott. Philip. 1984-09-01. The savanna forests of mainland southeast Asia: an ecological survey. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment. en. 8. 3. 315–335. 10.1177/030913338400800301. 130984062 . 0309-1333.
  8. Zusi. R. L.. Marshall. J. T.. 1970. A comparison of Asiatic and North American sapsuckers. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society. 23. 393–407.
  9. Limparungpatthanakij. Wichyanan. Gale. George. Brockelman. Warren Y.. Round. Philip David. 2017. Western striped squirrel Tamiops mcclellandii: A non-avian sentinel species of bird waves. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 65. 474–481.
  10. Round. Philip D.. 1982. Notes on Breeding Birds in North-West Thailand. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc.. 30. 1–14.
  11. Limparungpatthanakij. Wichyanan. Brockelman. Warren Y. Gale. George. Round. Philip David. 2019. Woodpeckers benefit from participation in mixed-species flocks in lowland deciduous forests, Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Forktail. 35. 57–59.
  12. Greiner. Ellis C. Mandal. A. K.. Nandi. N. C.. 1977. Haemoproteus bennetti sp. n. and a Review of the Haemoproteids from the Picidae (Woodpeckers). The Journal of Parasitology. 63. 4. 651–656. 10.2307/3279563 . 3279563 . 407347 .
  13. Somadder. K.. Tandan. B.K.. 1975. Chewing lice from birds of the oriental region. Part XI: Picicola Roberti, sp. nov. (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera). Oriental Insects. en. 9. 1. 23–30. 10.1080/00305316.1975.10434840. 0030-5316.
  14. Zmudzinski. Mateusz. Unsoeld. Markus. 2019-03-11. Quill mites (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) parasitizing birds in Germany: new host records and descriptions of two new species from Limosa lapponica (L.) (Aves: Scolopacidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology. 24. 3. 362–376. 10.11158/saa.24.3.3. 92799823 . 1362-1971.
  15. Treesucon. Uthai. Round. Philip D.. 1990. Report on Threatened Birds in Thailand. Tiger Paper. 17. 3. 1–9.
  16. Web site: 2003. กฎกระทรวง ก ำหนดให้สัตว์ป่ำบางชนิดเป็นสัตว์ป่ำคุ้มครอง พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๖. live. 2021-11-10. กรมประมง (Department of Fisheries, Thailand). https://web.archive.org/web/20211111023650/https://www4.fisheries.go.th/local/file_document/20200410114550_new.pdf . 11 November 2021 .
  17. Web site: นกหัวขวานเขียวตะโพกแดง Black-headed Woodpecker (Picus erythropygius (Elliot, 1865)). live. 2021-11-11. Birds of the Lower Northern Thailand. https://web.archive.org/web/20211111023654/http://www.lowernorthernbird.com/checklist.php?cat_id=18&c_id=54&b_id=39 . 11 November 2021 .
  18. Wiles. Gary J.. 1979. The Birds of Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary, Southwestern Thailand. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc.. 28. 101–120.

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