West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris)

Other Names (World)
West Indian Woodpecker, Great Red-bellied Woodpecker, West Indian Red-bellied Woodpecker, Bahama Woodpecker (nyeanus, blakei), Cayman Woodpecker (caymanensis), Cuban Red-bellied Woodpecker (superciliaris)

Family
Picidae (Woodpeckers)

Size
26 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Temminck, 1827)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland moist forest, dry forest. From sea-level - 900 m.

Range (Guide)

Bahamas, Cayman Islands (B), Cuba, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (9)...)

West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris) [XC126866]
by Gerard Gorman from Bermejas, E of Playa Giron, Cienfuegos, Cuba (drumming)

West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris) [XC126875]
by Hans Matheve from Finca La Belen, Camaguey, Cuba (call, drumming)

Subspecies
Sometimes combined with other barred congeners in a separate genus Centurus. Forms a superspecies with Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). Birds on Grand Bahama sometimes separated as subspecies bahamensis: on average marginally shorter-billed, slightly darker below and tending to show slightly more black behind eye, but otherwise identical to San Salvador subspecies nyeanus, which is itself somewhat variable, so the two are more appropriately lumped. Subspecies caymanensis formerly considered a separate species.

The following 5 subspecies are recognised:

nyeanus (Ridgway, 1886) - Grand Bahama and San Salvador (northern and eastern Bahamas).
blakei (Ridgway, 1886) - Great Abaco (northern Bahamas).
superciliaris (Temminck, 1827) - Cuba, Cantiles Keys and associated keys.
murceus (Bangs, 1910) - I of Pines, Cayo Largo and Cayo Real.
caymanensis (Cory, 1886) - Grand Cayman.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for West Indian Woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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