Colaptes
A pair of gold woodpeckers ( Colaptes auratus)
The gold or Krummschnabel woodpeckers ( Colaptes ), popularly also known in North America flicker, form a genus of birds of the subfamily True woodpeckers within the woodpeckers ( Picidae ). With 11 species and several subspecies inhabit the whole American continent.
Description
The plumage of these woodpeckers is characterized by a light brown color with wavy drawing. The tail feathers and wings glow of golden yellow to copper color to dull red.
Way of life
You fly through their territory in the arch flight and are very lively and extremely ruffreudig. They are found mainly near the ground where they are looking for ants and other insects. Their diet consists ( according to Arthur Cleveland Bent, 1939) to 60% of animal and 40% vegetable matter. Especially the gold woodpeckers from the northern areas of the United States are migratory birds. Migration begins in late September and ends in February to early April. During this turn, they form loose associations and call often.
Also characteristic is their swing dance which not only serves as a courtship dance and advertising but also as posturing for territorial defense. In this dance, the head is swung wildly, and the tail spread diagonally until it protrudes laterally 45 ° away from the body and the shiny yellow underside is flaunted.
Habitat
They prefer open to semi- open landscapes.
Reproduction
Burrows are usually created in rotten tree trunks, poles, or as in the desert gold woodpecker in giant cacti. Another type, the Andean woodpecker nests in burrows on steep slopes. Nests are found at altitudes from 0.5 m to 27 m and 17-46 cm deep. The entry and exit openings have a diameter of 5 to 11 cm. On average, they lay 6-8 white eggs from which shiny after 9 to 12 days the young hatch which then, in turn, after 10 days, open your eyes. After 25 to 28 days, closing the nesting season and the boys fly out, but some time are still cared for by their parents.
Vocalizations
At large distance, both genders have a long Rufreihe from kick- kick- kick sounds what is sometimes perceived as Wicka - Wicka - Wicka. The alarm call sounds like Kjioub and intimate sounds between pairs are a very faint Waet - Waet, uiihk - wop - wop or uiihk.
Species
- Gray forehead Woodpecker ( Colaptes atricollis )
- Flicker ( Colaptes auratus ) - 9 subspecies
- Field woodpecker ( Colaptes campestris ) - 1 subspecies
- Desert Gold Woodpecker ( Colaptes chrysoides ) - 4 subspecies
- Cuba Woodpecker ( Colaptes fernandinae )
- Green napkins Woodpecker ( Colaptes melanochloros )
- Bands Woodpecker ( Colaptes Pitius )
- Tüpfelbrustspecht ( Colaptes punctigula )
- Rotmantelspecht ( Colaptes rivolii ) - 4 subspecies
- Olivmantelspecht ( Colaptes rubiginosus ) - 19 subspecies
- Andes woodpecker ( Colaptes rupicola ) - 2 subspecies
In Bermuda Gold woodpeckers are known fossil. So 1981 remains were discovered by lowland woodpeckers of the genus Colaptes in Admirals Cave in Hamilton Parish, which are dated for the most part on the Upper Pleistocene. A right tarsometatarsus of a young bird comes from the Holocene. Presumably, the species has, however, survived until the early colonization of Bermuda, as a travelogue of Captain John Smith from 1623 on observations of woodpeckers suggesting Bermuda, which can refer to both Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus ) and on gold woodpeckers. Storrs L. Olson in 2013 wrote the first scientific description and named the new species Colaptes oceanicus.