Yellow-tufted woodpecker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-tufted woodpecker |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melanerpes
|
| Species: |
cruentatus
|
 |
|
The yellow-tufted woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) is a type of woodpecker. You can find it in several South American countries. These include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It likes to live in warm, wet lowland forests. It can also live in forests that have been changed by people.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The yellow-tufted woodpecker was first described in 1780. A French scientist named Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon wrote about it. He saw a bird from Cayenne, French Guiana. Later, in 1783, a Dutch scientist named Pieter Boddaert gave it the scientific name Picus cruentatus.
Today, this woodpecker is part of the Melanerpes group. This group was named by an English bird expert, William John Swainson, in 1832. The name Melanerpes comes from Ancient Greek words. Melas means "black," and herpēs means "creeper." The word cruentatus is Latin for "blood-stained." This might refer to the red parts of the bird.
What Does It Look Like?
An adult yellow-tufted woodpecker is about 20 centimeters (8 inches) long. Its upper body is mostly bluish-black. Its cheeks, chin, throat, and chest are also bluish-black. The breast and belly are red, but the amount of red can be different on each bird. The sides and lower belly have black and white wavy stripes.
The bird's lower back and upper tail feathers are white. You can easily see this white when the bird flies. Its tail is black. The underside of its wings has black and white stripes. It has a blackish beak and grey legs. Its eyes and the skin around them are yellow.
Male and female woodpeckers look a bit different. Males have a red front and middle part of their head. Females have these parts in black. In some areas, the bird's brow is yellow or cream. The back of its head might have yellow or golden feathers. These feathers often look like a tuft. But in southern areas, these parts are black. Young woodpeckers look like adults. However, their upper parts are browner, and their underparts are greyer. Young males and females both have some red on their heads. Their bellies are more orange than red.
Where Does It Live?
The yellow-tufted woodpecker lives in northern South America. Its home includes eastern Colombia, western and southern Venezuela, and the Guianas. It also lives in northern and central Brazil, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and eastern Bolivia. It can live from sea level up to about 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) high. In Ecuador, it can even be found higher up.
This woodpecker likes open, wet forests. It lives in both flooded forests (varzea) and dry land forests (terra firme). You can also find it in forests that are growing back. It likes the edges of woodlands and burnt areas with some trees still standing. This bird does not migrate, meaning it stays in the same area all year.
How Does It Live?
Yellow-tufted woodpeckers are social birds. They often live and look for food in groups. They eat many different things. Their diet includes insects, which they sometimes catch while flying. They also enjoy eating fruits.
Is It Safe?
The home of the yellow-tufted woodpecker, the Amazon rainforest, is slowly being cut down. This means the number of these woodpeckers might be going down. However, it is a common bird and lives in a very large area. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is a species of "least concern." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
