Woodpeckers of the World: Picid in Focus: Yucatan Woodpecker Melanerpes pygmaeus

Friday, 1 July 2011

Picid in Focus: Yucatan Woodpecker Melanerpes pygmaeus

Male Yucatan Woodpecker (note the red on the crown, female has red only on the nape). This resident species occurs in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Belize and Guanaja off mainland Honduras. There are 3 races. Relatively little is known about its biology. Photo by Pete Ferrera taken in Mexico in January 2008.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Background

Woodpeckers, the Picidae, are Piciformes, an order that includes some of the oldest avian lineages. The Piciformes probably originated about 60 million years ago in the Tertiary period and became distinct from their closest relatives some 50 million years ago. Depending upon which taxonomy is followed, and the fact that the status of some species is unclear, around 240-260 woodpecker species probably exist globally. The Picidae includes three subfamilies: Jynginae (wrynecks), Picumninae (piculets) and the Picinae, the “true woodpeckers”. In terms of size, behaviour, distribution and the habitats they use, the Picinae are a fairly diverse group of birds with six distinct tribes. They are widespread and found from sea-level to high-altitudes but absent from the Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and some other islands. Worldwide woodpeckers are usually, but not exclusively, associated with trees.