Black-cheeked woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-cheeked woodpecker |
|
|---|---|
_male_making_nest_Orange_Walk.jpg) |
|
| male in Belize | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melanerpes
|
| Species: |
pucherani
|
 |
|
_female_feeding_on_wild_papaya_with_male_Orange_Walk.jpg)
The black-cheeked woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani) is a colorful bird from the woodpecker family. You can find it living in forests from southern Mexico all the way down to Ecuador.
Contents
About the Black-Cheeked Woodpecker
Family Tree and Name
The black-cheeked woodpecker belongs to the Melanerpes group of woodpeckers. For a while, it was placed in a different group called Tripsurus. It is very closely related to the golden-naped woodpecker.
This woodpecker is considered monotypic. This means it does not have different subspecies or types within its species. The scientific name pucherani honors a French animal expert named Jacques Pucheran.
What Does It Look Like?
The black-cheeked woodpecker is about 17 to 19 cm (6.7 to 7.5 in) long. It weighs between 42 and 68 grams (1.5 to 2.4 oz). Males and females look very similar, except for the patterns on their heads.
- Males have a bright golden yellow forehead. Their crown (top of the head) and the back of their neck are red.
- Females have a white or light yellow forehead. The middle of their crown is black, but the back of their crown and neck are red.
Both male and female woodpeckers have black feathers around their eyes. This black color goes down the side of their neck. They also have a white line right behind their eye.
Their upper back has black and white stripes. Their lower back and the feathers covering their tail are white with a light yellow tint. Their flight feathers (on their wings) are black or brownish-black with thin white tips. They also have white stripes across these feathers. Their tail is black, with some white stripes on the two middle feathers.
The feathers on their face, chin, and upper throat are whitish. Their lower throat and chest are a greenish-yellow color with a gray tint. The rest of their belly is whitish with strong wavy stripes. They have a red spot in the middle of their belly. The feathers under their tail are yellowish-brown.
Their beak is quite long and black, with a lighter color at the bottom part. Their eyes are brown. The skin around their eyes is brown to grayish. Their legs are greenish-gray or olive.
Young woodpeckers look a bit duller and browner than adults. Their stripes are not as clear, and the red spot on their belly is smaller and lighter. Young males have an orangey-red color on their neck. Young females have much less red on their crown compared to adult females.
Where Do They Live?
The black-cheeked woodpecker lives in a wide area. It is found in southern Mexico, specifically in Veracruz and Chiapas. From there, it extends south along the Caribbean coast into Costa Rica. Then, it lives on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts in Panama. Its range continues through western Colombia and western Ecuador, reaching slightly into Peru.
These woodpeckers like to live inside and at the edges of wet, humid evergreen forests. They also live in older secondary forests (forests that have grown back after being cut down). Sometimes, they are found in old farms that have been left alone, or in open areas with a few scattered trees. You might even see them in gardens, even if the gardens are far from a forest.
They usually live at elevations between 700 and 900 meters (2,300 to 3,000 ft) above sea level. Sometimes, they can be found as high as 1,200 meters (3,900 ft). In Ecuador, they have been seen even higher, up to 1,500 meters (4,900 ft).
Woodpecker Behavior
Staying in One Place
The black-cheeked woodpecker does not migrate. It stays in the same area all year round.
What Do They Eat?
This woodpecker eats many different kinds of small creatures, like spiders, beetles, and ants. It also catches insects flying in the air. Besides insects, it eats a lot of plant material. This includes fruits, berries, seeds, and even catkins (soft, hanging flower clusters). They also drink nectar from large tree flowers.
They usually look for food alone or in pairs. However, sometimes groups gather together at trees that have a lot of fruit. They also join groups of different bird species that are foraging together. They typically search for food from the middle to the very top of the forest trees. They find food by poking, pecking, picking it off surfaces, and even catching insects in the air. They are very active and quick. Sometimes, they even hang upside down from the bottom of branches!
How They Raise Their Young
The black-cheeked woodpecker's breeding season is from March to July. They make their nests by digging a hole in a dead tree trunk or branch. These nest holes are usually between 4 and 30 meters (13 to 98 ft) above the ground.
Both the male and female woodpeckers take turns sitting on the eggs. They usually lay two to four eggs. The eggs hatch after about 14 days. The young birds are ready to fly and leave the nest about three weeks after they hatch.
Sounds They Make
The most common sound the black-cheeked woodpecker makes is a series of about four short, rattling trills. It sounds like "churrr, churrr, churrr, churrr" or "cherrr." They also make a longer, smoother rattling sound. Other calls include a loud, full "krrrr" and a higher-pitched, sharp "chirriree" or "keereereek." Both male and female woodpeckers drum on trees, but they don't do it very often.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the black-cheeked woodpecker as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. They live across a very large area. Scientists estimate there are at least 50,000 adult birds. However, this number is thought to be going down.
No immediate big threats have been found for this bird. It lives in several protected areas. But its numbers do decrease where there is a lot of deforestation (when forests are cut down).
