Helmeted woodpecker
| Helmeted woodpecker | |
|---|---|
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| Helmeted Woodpecker at Intervales State Park, Ribeirão Grande, São Paulo State, Brazil | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Piciformes |
| Family: | Picidae |
| Genus: | Celeus |
| Species: | C. galeatus |
| Binomial name | |
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Celeus galeatus (Temminck, 1822) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Hylatomus galeatus |
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Hylatomus galeatus
Dryocopus galeatus
The helmeted woodpecker (Celeus galeatus) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It has been recorded from far northeastern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay. Its habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Coenraad Jacob Temminck described the helmeted woodpecker in 1822. Its specific epithet is from the Latin word galea, meaning "helmet". It was reclassified as Hylatomus galeatus by some authorities. Upon sequencing the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, two studies published in 2015 found that it lay genetically with the latter genus and proposed the name Celeus galeatus. The placement of the helmeted woodpecker in the genus Celeus was accepted by the International Ornithologists' Union.
Its genetic position indicates that it has evolved to mimic the lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), whose range it shares, by adopting similar plumage.
Adult birds are 27–28 cm (11 in) in length, with a long (3.15–3.5 cm (1.24–1.38 in)) bill that is wide at the base and shaped like a chisel. Its head, lores and ear coverts are cinnamon-coloured, brightening to red on the crown and crest. The mantle, wings, upper back and nape are brown-black, the lower back is cream and the underparts barred black and cream.
The red crest, black back, and barred underside of the helmeted woodpecker resemble those of two larger woodpeckers—lineated woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) and robust woodpecker (Campephilus robustus)—a form of mimicry which helps prevent attacks by other animals.
The helmeted woodpecker has been rated as vulnerable on the IUCN red list as much of its habitat has been affected by deforestation and although it is found across a large area, it is nowhere common. Its population is estimated at under 10,000 adult birds. The removal of forest has led to it vanishing from much of its range. Among others, a population is confirmed to exist in Iguazú National Park.
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Wikipedia