Piculus leucolaemus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Piciformes

Familia: Picidae
Subfamilia: Picinae
Genus: Piculus
Species: Piculus leucolaemus
Name

Piculus leucolaemus (Natterer & Malherbe, 1845)

Type locality: Brazil
Synonymy

Picus leucolaemus (protonym)
Chloronerpes leucolaemus australis Carriker, 1935 Proc.Acad.Nat.Sci.Phi p. 318

References

Malherbe, A. & Natterer, J. In Malherbe, A. 1845. Notice sur quelques espèces de Pics du Brésil. Mémoires de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège 2: 65–70 BHL Reference page. 68 BHL.

Vernacular names
English: White-throated Woodpecker
español: Carpintero gorgiblanc
français: Pic à gorge blanche
português: Pica-pau-de-garganta-branca

The white-throated woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae.[2] It is found Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.[3]
Taxonomy and systematics

The white-throated woodpecker was originally described as Picus leucolaemus.[4] Since its inclusion in Piculus it has at times been considered conspecific with the rufous-winged woodpecker (P. simplex), the stripe-cheeked woodpecker (P. callopterus), and the Lita woodpecker (P. litae); the four may form a superspecies. It and just the Lita woodpecker have also been treated as conspecific.[5] The white-throated woodpecker is monotypic.[2]
Description

The white-throated woodpecker is about 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) long and weighs about 69 g (2.4 oz). Males and females have the same plumage except on their heads. Males are red from forehead to hindneck and very widely on the malar (cheek); the latter has a wide yellow stripe above it.The female has red only on the nape but is otherwise the same as the male. Adults of both sexes have the eponymous white chin and throat. Their upperparts are bronze-green. Their flight feathers are mostly dark brown with pale cinnamon-rufous on the inner webs. Their tail is blackish with greenish edges on the feathers. Their upper breast is yellowish green; the feathers have pale centers and dark tips. The rest of their underparts are white with olive barring. Their shortish beak is blackish to gray, their iris dark brown to red-brown, and the legs dark olive to blackish. Juveniles are greener than adults and males have red only from the rear crown to the hindneck.[6]
Distribution and habitat

The white-throated woodpecker is found from far southwestern Colombia south on the east side of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes to central Bolivia. Disjunct populations are also in west and central Amazonian Brazil. It inhabits mature humid terra firme forest and várzea forest. It is a bird of the lowlands and foothills, reaching elevations of 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Ecuador and 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in Peru.[6]
Behavior
Movement

As far as is known, the white-throated woodpecker is a year-round resident throughout its range.[6]
Feeding

The white-throated woodpecker usually forages alone, sometimes in pairs, and also joins mixed species feeding flocks. It forages at the mid- to upper levels of the forest and typically feeds by probing and flaking off bark. Its diet is not known but is assumed to include adult and larval insects.[6]
Breeding

Nothing is known about the white-throated woodpecker's breeding biology.[6]

Dickcissel male perched on a metal pole singing, with neck stretched and beak open.

Songs and calls
Listen to white-throated woodpecker on xeno-canto
Vocalization

The white-throated woodpecker's vocalization is a "hoarse/hissing 'sraa-sraa-sraa-" or drawn-out, hissing, lowered 'wheeeeee'."[7]
Status

The IUCN has assessed the white-throated woodpecker as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, but its population size is not known and is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is poorly known and considered uncommon; "[u]ncertainty over its taxonomic position has made assessment of any past records very difficult."[6]
References

BirdLife International (2016). "White-throated Woodpecker Piculus leucolaemus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22681237A92899055. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22681237A92899055.en. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (August 2022). "Woodpeckers". IOC World Bird List. v 12.2. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. Species Lists of Birds for South American Countries and Territories. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCCountryLists.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
Natterer, Johann; Malherbe, Alfred (1845). "Picus leucolaemus". Mémoires de la Société royale des sciences de Liège (in French). 2: 68. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022
Winkler, H. and D. A. Christie (2020). White-throated Woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whtwoo2.01 retrieved January 26, 2023
Ridgely, Robert S.; Greenfield, Paul J. (2001). The Birds of Ecuador: Field Guide. Vol. II. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-8014-8721-7.