Iberian Green Woodpecker
Picus sharpei
Fairly large woodpecker with a green back, red crown, and broad whisker stripe (red in males, black in females). Yellowish rump shows mainly in slightly undulating flight. Unmistakable in most of range; note Eurasian Green Woodpecker’s black face patch in thin band of overlap. Inhabits open woodland, heathland, gardens, parks, and farmland with hedges and scattered larger trees. Unlike most woodpeckers, feeds mainly on the ground, including garden lawns, probing into anthills and moving with an odd, shuffling gait. Calls are loud, high-pitched, and somewhat raptor-like. Drums infrequently.
Taxonomy
The Iberian green woodpecker was described by Howard Saunders in 1872 and given the binomial name Gecinus sharpei. He chose the specific epithet to honour his friend, the English zoologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe, who he credited with first distinguishing it from the European green woodpecker (Picus viridis) and Levaillant's woodpecker (Picus vaillantii). The Iberian green woodpecker was usually treated as a subspecies of the European green woodpecker but two separate studies published in 2011 found that there were significant differences in both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences between the two populations. Based on these results the Iberian green woodpecker is now considered as a separate species. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Picus sharpei
- Authority
- (Saunders, H, 1872)
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Picidae
- Genus
- Picus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Short-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus striatus
Glossy drongo of the eastern Visayas and Mindanao. Note the blue iridescence on the wings and neck, as well as the relatively weakly forked tail. Similar to Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, but note present species’ much heavier bill. A vocal inhabitant of forested habitats, often foraging actively from exposed perches, sometimes in pairs or small groups. Vibrant song consists of clicks, whistles, warbles, harsh grating notes, and mimicry.
Least Boobook
Ninox sumbaensis
A rufous-brown owl with yellow eyes, prominent white eyebrows, and mottled underparts. Juvenile reportedly redder-colored and plainer. Inhabits forested lower foothills, regularly in pairs. A recently described, little-known owl confined to Sumba. Smaller than Sumba Boobook, and separated by yellow eyes, lack of bands on the underparts, and markedly different voice. Song is a single “woop” note, often given as a duet. One sex calls with a higher pitch than the other.
Cryptic Becard
Pachyramphus salvini
Small becard occurring from southwest Colombia to northwest Peru, mainly on the west slope of the Andes and in the Marañon drainage, but (perhaps seasonally?) on the east slope of the Andes as well. Mostly found in foothills, in middle to upper levels of humid montane forest, dry forest, and more open second-growth. Male is mostly gray with bold white edges on the wing feathers and a black cap with pale spectacles. Compare with White-winged Becard, which has a black back and dark lores. Female is very different; look for her brown cap bordered with black, white spectacles, pale yellowish belly, and tawny edges on wing feathers. Extremely similar to Black-and-white Becard, with potential range overlap on the east slope of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Male Cryptic shows a narrower upper wingbar, paler lores, a grayer upperside of the tail, and a more slender bill than Black-and-white. Female Cryptic has a duller brownish crown with a narrower black border. These features may all be difficult or impossible to assess in the field; some birds are best left unidentified. Also note voice: song a fast series of two sweet downslurred whistles followed by a stuttered upslurred whistle, often repeated two or three times. Black-and-white’s song is slower, with longer notes.
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