White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus)

Order: Piciformes | Family: Picidae  | IUCN Status: Least Concern

white_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Southwest Brazil

white_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Southwest Brazil

white_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male and Female | Loc. Southwest Brazil

white_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Southwest Brazil

Identification & Behavior: ~25 cm (9.8 in). The White Woodpecker is unique in having only the back, wings, and tail black. The rest of the body is white. Only males have yellow on the nape.  It is often found in pairs or family groups. The White Woodpecker is unmistakable in its restricted range in Peru.

Status: The White Woodpecker is known to occur only in the open Savannah habitats and scattered woodlands of Pampas del Heath, in extreme southeast Peru. It also occurs in Br and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Carpintero Blanco.

Sub-species: White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus), Otto 1796.

Meaning of Name: Melanerpes: Gr. melas= black and herpes= climbing. candidus: L. candidus= white, bright white.

See more of the Family Picidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
white woodpeckerVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.