Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) [XC780894]
by Sue Riffe from San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, Cochise County, Arizona, United States (interaction calls)
Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) [XC359293]
by Paul Marvin from Saguaro National Park (near Tucson), Pima County, Arizona, United States (call)
Subspecies
Sometimes combined with other barred congeners in a separate genus Centurus. Formerly considered conspecific with Grey-breasted Woodpecker (Melanerpes hypopolius). Interbreeds to limited extent with Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) in south-western Mexico. Geographical subspecies poorly differentiated owing to rather marked degree of individual variation; dark birds from southern Sonora, south-western Chihuahua and northern Sinaloa often separated as subspecies fuscescens, but probably better treated as part of nominate or, since many appear indistinguishable from cardonensis, should perhaps be merged with latter. Further study is required. In addition, described subspecies albescens (from southern Nevada and south-eastern California to north-western Sonora), tiburonensis (from Tiburon I, off western Sonora) and sulfuriventer (from south of range, southern from Sinaloa and Zacatecas) fall within range of variation of nominate, with which they are therefore synonymized.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
uropygialis (Baird, 1854) - South-eastern California (Imperial Valley, lower Colorado Valley) and extreme southern Nevada east to extreme south-western New Mexico, and southern in western Mexico to Jalisco and Aguascalientes.
cardonensis (Grinnell, 1927) - Northern and central Baja California.
brewsteri (Ridgway, 1911) - Southern Baja California (southern from San Ignacio).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet