Chestnut piculet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chestnut piculet |
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Picumnus
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| Species: |
cinnamomeus
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The chestnut piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus) is a small bird that belongs to the woodpecker family. It is found in parts of Colombia and Venezuela. This bird is special because it's one of the smallest woodpeckers around!
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About the Chestnut Piculet
Scientists group animals to understand them better. The chestnut piculet has different types, called subspecies. Most scientists agree there are four main subspecies of this bird:
- P. c. cinnamomeus
- P. c. perijanus
- P. c. persaturatus
- P. c. venezuelensis
Some scientists think there might be a fifth type, but for now, we'll focus on the four main ones.
What Does It Look Like?
The chestnut piculet is a tiny bird, about 9 to 10 centimeters (3.5 to 4 inches) long.
Male Birds
Adult male chestnut piculets have a light, creamy forehead. Their head is black with yellow-tipped feathers on top. The back of their neck is black with white-tipped feathers. The rest of their body is a deep reddish-brown, which looks like cinnamon. Their belly and rump are a bit lighter. Their wings are dark brown with reddish-brown edges. Their tail is brownish-black with cinnamon stripes. They have brown eyes, a black beak, yellow skin around their eyes, and gray legs.
Female Birds
Female chestnut piculets look very much like the males. The main difference is that females do not have the yellow tips on their head feathers. Instead, they have white spots only on the back of their head and neck.
Different Subspecies
- P. c. persaturatus is a darker and richer reddish-brown than the main type. Its wing edges are brighter, and the tail stripes are less clear. Female persaturatus have white spots all over their head.
- P. c. perijanus is similar to persaturatus but a little lighter in color. Female perijanus have more white spots on their head.
- P. c. venezuelensis is as dark as persaturatus. However, it has a cinnamon-colored forehead. Female venezuelensis have white spots only on their head, not on their neck.
Where Does It Live?
The different types of chestnut piculets live in specific areas:
- P. c. cinnamomeus lives along the coast of northern Colombia. It also lives south into the valleys of the Cauca River and Magdalena River. A few can be found in Venezuela's Guajira Peninsula.
- P. c. perijanus is found in the northern part of Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo basin.
- P. c. persaturatus lives in the Serranía de San Jerónimo in northwestern Colombia.
- P. c. venezuelensis is found in Venezuela, in the southern and eastern Lake Maracaibo basin. It also lives in the areas of Falcón and Lara.
Its Home Environment
The chestnut piculet can live in many different places. These include rainforests, forests where trees lose their leaves, open areas with scattered trees, and dry scrublands. They also live in mangrove swamps and coffee farms. They seem to like thorny woodlands the most. You can find them from sea level up to about 100 meters (330 feet) high in Venezuela, and up to 300 meters (980 feet) high in Colombia.
How Does It Behave?
Staying in One Place
The chestnut piculet does not migrate. It stays in the same area all year round.
Finding Food
This bird is very active when it looks for food. It searches at all levels of its habitat, but it often stays in thick plants. You usually see them alone, in pairs, or in small family groups. They also join groups of different bird species that are looking for food together. Scientists believe they eat ants and other small insects, though their diet hasn't been fully studied.
Raising Young
The breeding season for the chestnut piculet seems to be from December to March, and possibly longer. Not much else is known about how they raise their young.
What Does It Sound Like?
The song of the chestnut piculet is a series of 3 to 8 high-pitched notes. It sounds like "ti.ti.ti.ti.ti" and gets lower in pitch as it sings.
Its Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed the chestnut piculet as a species of "Least Concern." This means that it is not currently in danger of disappearing. However, we don't know how many of these birds there are or if their numbers are changing. No immediate threats to the species have been found. It is common in Colombia but has not been seen as often in Venezuela. Even though it's not as hard to spot as some other piculets, scientists still don't know a lot about it.
See also
In Spanish: Carpinterito Castaño para niños
