Higher classification Melanerpes | Phylum Chordata Family Picidae Scientific name Melanerpes pygmaeus Rank Species | |
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Similar Woodpecker, Bird, Grey‑breasted woodpecker, Golden‑cheeked woodpecker, Melanerpes | ||
Yucatan woodpecker in cancun suburbs
The Yucatán woodpecker (Melanerpes pygmaeus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is sometime referred to as the red-vented woodpecker. The Yucatán woodpecker is found in Belize, Honduras, and Mexico, and ranges over the entire Yucatán Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and heavily degraded former forest.
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Description
This woodpecker measures 17 cm (6.7 in) long. Adults are mainly light gray on the face and underparts; they have black and white barred patterns on their back, wings and tail. Adult males have a red cap going from the eye to the nape; females lack a red cap. There is yellow and/or red around the base of the bill. There may be a yellowish tinge to the belly and a red wash to the vent area. It mightbe confused with the golden-fronted woodpecker which shares part of its range, but that species is larger, has a bigger beak, and the female has more red on the nape of the neck. Another similar species is the red-crowned woodpecker but the range of the two species do not overlap.
Subspecies
The Yucatán woodpecker has 3 subspecies:
Distribution and habitat
The Yucatán woodpecker is endemic to Central America. Its range includes the Yucatan Peninsula and adjoining offshore islands, Cozumel Island, Belize, northeastern Guatemala and Guanaja Island off the coast of Honduras. It is mostly found in clearings and near the edges of dry woodland and in coastal scrub, but also sometimes inhabits damper woodland and degraded habitats.
Status
The population of the Yucatan woodpecker is believed to be stable and its range is large. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".