Little woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little woodpecker |
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Veniliornis
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passerinus
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The little woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) is a small bird that belongs to the woodpecker family. You can find it in most countries in South America, but not in Chile, Suriname, or Uruguay.
Contents
About the Little Woodpecker's Name
In 1766, a famous Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus gave this woodpecker its scientific name, Picus passerinus. He based his description on earlier work by a French zoologist, Mathurin Jacques Brisson. Linnaeus thought the bird came from Dominica, but later, experts corrected this to Cayenne in French Guiana. The name passerinus comes from Latin and means "sparrow-like," because it's a small bird like a sparrow.
Today, most bird experts, like the International Ornithological Committee, place the little woodpecker in a group called Veniliornis. However, some groups, like the American Ornithological Society, have moved all birds from Veniliornis into another group called Dryobates.
The little woodpecker has nine different types, called subspecies. These are like slightly different versions of the same bird, often found in different areas:
- V. (or D.) p. fidelis
- V. (or D.) p. modestus
- V. (or D.) p. diversus
- V. (or D.) p. agilis
- V. (or D.) p. insignis
- V. (or D.) p. tapajozensis
- V. (or D.) p. passerinus
- V. (or D.) p. taenionotus
- V. (or D.) p. olivinus
Sometimes, some of these subspecies, like fidelis and olivinus, have been thought of as separate species entirely.
What Does the Little Woodpecker Look Like?
The little woodpecker is a small bird, about 14 to 15 centimeters (5.5 to 6 inches) long. It weighs between 24 and 37 grams (0.8 to 1.3 ounces).
Males and females look very similar, except for their heads.
- Males usually have a red forehead, crown, and the back of their neck.
- Females have grayish-olive brown heads with faint white spots where the male is red.
Both male and female little woodpeckers have a dark brownish-olive face with light stripes on their chin and throat. Their upper body is mostly a shiny olive-green with red tips on some feathers. Their wings are brown with green edges and thin white stripes. Their tail is dark brown with light stripes on the outer feathers. Their belly is dark olive with narrow, light white stripes. They have deep brown eyes, a blackish beak, and dark gray legs.
Young woodpeckers are a bit duller in color. Both young males and females have some red on their heads, but the young male has more.
Differences Among Subspecies
The different subspecies have small variations in their looks. For example:
- The modestus subspecies has a white "moustache" and clear spots on its wing feathers.
- The fidelis subspecies has a pale stripe above its eye and a large white moustache.
- The insignis subspecies is the smallest and doesn't have stripes on its face or spots on its wing feathers.
Where the Little Woodpecker Lives
The little woodpecker lives in many different places across South America. Each subspecies is found in a specific area:
- V. (or D.) p. fidelis: Eastern Colombia and western Venezuela.
- V. (or D.) p. modestus: Central and northeastern Venezuela.
- V. (or D.) p. diversus: Northern Brazil, north of the Amazon River.
- V. (or D.) p. agilis: Southern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, western Brazil, and northern Bolivia.
- V. (or D.) p. insignis: West-central Brazil, south of the Amazon River.
- V. (or D.) p. tapajozensis: East-central Brazil, along the lower Amazon.
- V. (or D.) p. passerinus: The Guianas and northeastern Brazil.
- V. (or D.) p. taenionotus: Eastern Brazil.
- V. (or D.) p. olivinus: Southeastern Bolivia, southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and parts of Argentina.
This woodpecker likes many types of wooded areas, but it usually avoids the deep parts of forests. It prefers the edges of cloudforests, várzea forests (which flood), and forests along rivers. It also lives in forests with bamboo, dry woodlands, mangrove swamps, and wooded savannas. You can find it from sea level up to about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) high in some areas.
Little Woodpecker Behavior
Movement
The little woodpecker stays in the same area all year round and does not migrate.
Feeding Habits
This woodpecker looks for food at all levels of the forest, from the low bushes to the very tops of the trees. It especially likes bamboo. It can be seen feeding alone, in pairs, in small groups, or even with other types of birds in mixed flocks. It uses its strong beak to peck and hammer on tree trunks, branches, and bamboo stems. Its diet includes many kinds of adult and young insects, such as ants, termites, and beetles.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The nesting season for the little woodpecker changes depending on where it lives. For example, it nests from September to December in French Guiana, and from October to March in Argentina. The male woodpecker is thought to dig the nest hole by himself. These holes are usually 5 to 13 meters (16 to 43 feet) above the ground in tree stumps, palm trees, or bamboo. Scientists don't know exactly how many eggs it lays, how long the eggs take to hatch, or how long it takes for the young birds to leave the nest. However, both parents help feed the baby birds.
Sounds and Calls
The little woodpecker has a high-pitched call that sounds like "ki, ki, ki, ki" or "wi-wi-wi-wi-wi-wi-wi." It also makes "wicka" or "wik-wik-wik" sounds. Like other woodpeckers, it also drums on trees.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the little woodpecker as a species of "Least Concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It lives across a very large area, and even though its exact population size isn't known, experts believe it is stable. There are no immediate threats to this bird. It is generally quite common and can adapt well to different types of wooded habitats.
