Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) - HBW 7, p. 447
French: Pic à couronne rouge
German: Rotkappenspecht
Spanish: Carpintero Coronirrojo
Other common names: Little Red-headed Woodpecker; Wagler’s Woodpecker (Panama)
Taxonomy: Centurus rubricapillus Cabanis, 1862, Barranquilla, Colombia.
Sometimes combined with other barred congeners in a separate genus Centurus. Forms a superspecies with M. pygmaeus, and sometimes treated as conspecific, but geographical isolation, combined with minor morphological differences, supports allospecies treatment. Hybridizes with M. hoffmannii in C Costa Rica. Rather variable; population of SW Costa Rica described as race costaricensis, but now considered indistinguishable from nominate; relatively large and dark birds from Margarita I, NE Venezuela and Tobago named as race terricolor, but identical individuals .. View all taxonomy...
Sometimes combined with other barred congeners in a separate genus Centurus. Forms a superspecies with M. pygmaeus, and sometimes treated as conspecific, but geographical isolation, combined with minor morphological differences, supports allospecies treatment. Hybridizes with M. hoffmannii in C Costa Rica. Rather variable; population of SW Costa Rica described as race costaricensis, but now considered indistinguishable from nominate; relatively large and dark birds from Margarita I, NE Venezuela and Tobago named as race terricolor, but identical individuals occur in other parts of species’ range. In addition, race paraguanae may be invalid, as some individuals in E parts of range exhibit similar characteristics. Name “wagleri”, originally applied to birds from Panama, is junior synonym of rubricapillus. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- rubricapillus (Cabanis, 1862) - SW Costa Rica E to N & C Colombia, Venezuela (except S), Tobago, W Guyana and coastal Surinam.
- subfusculus Wetmore, 1957 - Coiba I (SW Panama).
- seductus Bangs, 1901 - San Miguel I (SE Panama).
- paraguanae (Gilliard, 1940) - Paraguaná Peninsula (NW Venezuela).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A female inspects a hole for food? Locality Panama City, Panama Province, Panama (ssp rubricapillus)
Eldert Groenewoud 10 May 2010 3 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 23 sec 4.8 -
A youg male preening Locality Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
Pere Sugranyes 8 July 2011 1 year ago 1 min 2 sec 4.6 -
A female enlarging its hole nest Locality Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
Pere Sugranyes 31 August 1997 6 years ago 25 sec 4.6 -
A bird eating a mango. Locality Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
Pere Sugranyes 2 December 2007 4 years ago 31 sec 4.5 -
A juvenile on the nest hole, and then a female arrives with food Locality Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
Pere Sugranyes 31 May 1999 6 years ago 26 sec 4.4 -
A male in a tree, calling Locality Talamanca, Costa Rica (ssp rubricapillus)
Max Roth 31 January 2004 7 years ago 29 sec 4.3
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a male drying out after a rain shower at THP at Lowlands
Locality Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago (ssp rubricapillus)
Stephen Romany 25 August 2011 1 year ago 4.3 -
On a tree trunk at Adventure Farm.
Locality Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago (ssp rubricapillus)
David Lingard 5 December 2009 1 year ago 4.3 -
female by a nesthole
Locality Pereira, Risaralda Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
mauricio rueda 31 December 2010 2 years ago 4.3 -
A male on a fern trunk
Locality Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela
Miguel Emmanuelli 20 September 2011 1 year ago 4.1 -
A female perched on a branch.
Locality Reinita de Cielo Azul Reserve, San Vicente de Chucurí, Santander Department, Colombia (ssp rubricapillus)
Joe Tobias 6 February 2007 20 weeks ago 4 -
On a hot day
Locality Flamingos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, La Guajira Department, Colombia
Guy Poisson 30 July 2012 44 weeks ago 4
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One bird calling near the Oilbirds Cave entrance Locality Caripe, Monagas State, Venezuela
(ssp rubricapillus)
Diego Calderon - COLOMBIA... 18 February 2009 3 years ago 4
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