Veniliornis fumigatus
SUBFAMILY
Picinae
TAXONOMY
Picus fumigatus d’Orbigny, 1840, Corrientes Province, Argentina,
and Yungas, Bolivia. Five races recognized.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Brown woodpecker; French: Pic enfumй German:
Russpecht; Spanish: Carpintero Pardo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
5.9–6.7 in (15–17 cm); 1.1–1.8 oz (31–50 g). A very plain
woodpecker with no color pattern evident in its plumage and
no crest; smoky brown overall; adult male has dark gray nape
feathers tipped with red, back and scapular feathers are tawnyolivaceous
with a golden, sometimes orange-red wash; adult female
similar to male, but with nape feathers tipped with
brown; juveniles similar to adult, but plumage duller.
DISTRIBUTION
Found from Nayarit and southeastern San Luis Potosi in Mexico,
through Central America to Colombia and northern
Venezuela, south along the west slope of the Andes to north
central Peru and along the east slope of the Andes to northwestern
Argentina. V. f. oleaginous, eastern Mexico; V. f. sanguinolentus,
central Mexico to western Panama; V. f.
reichenbachi, eastern Panama, northern Venezuela, Colombia to
eastern Ecuador; V. f. fumigatus, upper Amazonia; V. f. obscuratus,
northwestern Peru to northwestern Argentina.
HABITAT
Evergreen forests of mountains and lowlands, including secondary
forests of tropical and subtropical areas; seems to prefer
smaller tree trunks to larger ones.
BEHAVIOR
A resident species that often travels in pairs and, after nesting,
in family groups, often in mixed species flocks; a rather inconspicuous
species that moves about the forest canopy as well as
tangled vines of the understory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Forages high in broken canopy and lower at edges on small
branches or vines; seems to prefer edges in lowland forest
where it may forage low, but as with many species, this “preference”
could be a function of where birders can most easily
see them and careful study is needed. Often uses second
growth. Diet seems to favor small wood-boring beetles and
their larvae.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Nesting occurs February–May. Nest excavated in a fence
post, utility pole, or tree trunk, 5–25 feet (1.5–7.6 m) up. Reported
clutch size of 4 eggs; no information on young or
parental care.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
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