Sunday 21 December 2014

Picid in Focus: Hispaniolan Woodpecker













Hispaniolan Woodpecker Melanerpes striatus, Dominican Republic, December 2014. Endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Dom Rep & Haiti) in the Greater Antilles, it is widespread and common in the former, found in most wooded habitats, but less so in Haiti where deforestation has been rife. This is a female, note the black mid and fore crown with red only at the rear: males have a complete red crown.

Thursday 11 December 2014

An Island Endemic: Guadeloupe Woodpecker

Guadeloupe Woodpecker Melanerpes herminieri is the only picid on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Males and females are almost identical in appearance and in this shot and pose it is hard to say which sex the bird is, as the bill is hidden (males have longer bills). In addition, it is the only Melanerpes species in the Caribbean which does not exhibit sexual dimorphism in plumage. Photo taken by on Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles, November 2014.