Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus )

The Hairy Woodpecker ( Picoides villosus ) is the most widespread species has North America. We distinguish 18 subspecies.

Features

The 85 g heavy Hairy Woodpecker is at a wingspan of 44.5 cm, 16.5 to 26.7 cm long, of which 10 cm on the tail and 3.5 cm on the beak. The plumage is predominantly colored white on the top and on the wings. Back, throat and belly are white. Above and below the eye, he has a white stripe. The tail feathers are black on the inside and the outside white in color. The male differs from the female by a red spot on the back of the head.

The plumage of the young bird is mainly black with whitish dashes lungs and Fleckungen. The crest is reddish.

Occurrence

The Hairy Woodpecker lives in preferred forests with mature trees and plenty of dead wood. But it also occurs in open woods, on farmland, parks and gardens. The distribution area extends over most of North and Central America, as well as on some islands of the Caribbean. The Hairy Woodpecker is largely a state bird, only the northernmost populations move south and those which occur at high altitude, in deep forest areas.

Behavior

The Hairy Woodpecker looking under the bark, on leaves or in tree holes for insects and their larvae, which he pulls out with the help of his beak and long tongue. In addition, include smaller vertebrates, bird eggs, fruits, nuts, berries and tree sap to his food. Nuts jammed the Hairy Woodpecker between forked branches, the so-called Specht forging, and chop them on the powerful beak. For winter storage stocks are created in tree holes and chinks. But if the food scarce, the bird is a frequent visitor to the feeding grounds.

Reproduction

In the breeding season the Hairy Woodpecker drumming loud and fast against tree trunks to defend his territory. In addition, he is shrill cries and rattling noises. It nests in tree hollows in unpadded four to sixty meters high. The nest from an average of four whitish eggs are incubated for around 14 days. 28-30 days after hatching the young birds leave the nest. The nest, incubating the eggs and raising the young is carried out by both parents.

Subspecies of hair woodpecker

  • Picoides villosus audubonii Swainson, 1832
  • Picoides villosus harrisi Audubon, 1838
  • Picoides villosus Cabanis & Heine hyloscopus, 1863
  • Picoides villosus icastus Oberholser, 1911
  • Picoides villosus jardinii Malherbe, 1845
  • Picoides villosus maynardi Ridgway, 1887
  • Picoides villosus Orius Oberholser, 1911
  • Picoides villosus picoideus Osgood, 1901
  • Picoides villosus piger Allen, 1905
  • Picoides villosus sanctorum Nelson, 1897 - Mexican Hairy Woodpecker -
  • Picoides villosus septentrionalis Nuttall, 1840 - American Hairy Woodpecker -
  • Picoides villosus sitkensis Swarth, 1911
  • Picoides villosus terraenovae Batchelder, 1908
  • Picoides villosus villosus Linnaeus, 1766 - Hairy Woodpecker -
Picinae Genus Harry Church Oberholser Alfred Malherbe Robert Ridgway Wilfred Hudson Osgood Edward William Nelson George Nuttall
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