Picus vaillantii MHNT ZOO 2010 11 162 HdB Djelfa

Levaillant's woodpecker (''Picus vaillantii'') or Levaillant's green woodpecker, is a large African member of the

woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. ...

family Picidae.

Taxonomy

Levaillant's woodpecker is sometimes considered a subspecies of the

European green woodpecker The European green woodpecker (''Picus viridis'') is a large green woodpecker with a bright red crown and a black moustache. Males have a red centre to the moustache stripe which is absent in females. It is resident across much of Europe and the ...

. It is monotypic, meaning it has no subspecies. This species was named in honour of the French explorer, collector and

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

François Le Vaillant François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...

Distribution and habitat

Levaillant's woodpecker is found in the three

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

countries

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

in northwest

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. It breeds in mountain forests up to the treeline at around 2000m.

Description

Levaillant's woodpecker is 30–33 cm in length with a 45–51 cm wingspan. It is very similar to the

and the

Iberian Green woodpecker The Iberian green woodpecker (''Picus sharpei'') is a medium-sized woodpecker endemic to the Iberian peninsula. It was formerly considered as a subspecies of the European green woodpecker but differs in having little black on the head and a dusk ...

(especially females). Both Levaillant's woodpecker and the Iberian Green woodpecker were formerly considered subspecies of ''P. viridis''. Levaillant's woodpecker is dark green above and yellowish green below, with a crimson nape. The black moustache has a pale border above. The rump is chrome yellow and the outer webs of the primaries are barred black and white. The bill and feet are slate grey. Sexes are similar except that the male has a crimson crown, whereas the female's crown is grey. Like ''.P. v. sharpei'', both sexes lack the black on the lores and around the eye shown by most forms of the green woodpecker. The call is a loud ringing laugh, ''plue, plue, plue'', very like the green woodpecker's yaffle, but perhaps slightly faster.

Behaviour

This woodpecker's

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

food is captured by a rapid outward flick of the long tongue, and gummed to its tip by sticky

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

. Though a large and heavy bird it has an easy, bounding flight. The nest is a hole in a tree, and 4-8 glossy white

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

are laid on wood chips.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q757282

Levaillant's woodpecker Levaillant's woodpecker (''Picus vaillantii'') or Levaillant's green woodpecker, is a large African member of the woodpecker family Picidae. Taxonomy Levaillant's woodpecker is sometimes considered a subspecies of the European green woodpecker ...

Birds of North Africa