[order] PICIFORMES | [family] Picidae | [latin] Melanerpes candidus | [UK] White Woodpecker | [FR] Pic dominicain | [DE] Weissspecht | [ES] Carpintero Blanco | [NL] Witte Specht
It is an unmistakable black and white bird with yellow skin around the eye and a light yellowish belly with a white breast. A black stripe from eye to shoulder. The male also has yellow on the nape. Base of tail white, tail feathers black.
Listen to the sound of White Woodpecker
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
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|fledging min.:||35||days||fledging max.:||0||days|
South America : Central, East, Southeast
Dry subtropical forest, dry scrubs, savannas with trees and edges of cultivated land.
Breeding details unclear. In Suirname nest holes are found in trees, but also seems to nest in rock holes. Possible a social breeder with a clutch of 3-4 eggs incubated by both parents. Fledging in captivity about 36 days.
Mainly fruit and seeds, also insects (wasps, bees, flies etc.) gleaned and pecked from trees. Most often forages in small noisy groups in open trees.
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Sedentary throughout range.