Levaillant's Woodpecker
Encyclopedia
The Levaillant’s Woodpecker or Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker (Picus vaillantii) is a large member of the woodpecker
family Piciformes. It occurs as a resident breeder in the three Maghreb
countries Morocco
, Algeria
and Tunisia
in northwest Africa
.
Levaillant’s Woodpecker breeds in mountain forests up to the treeline at around 2000m. The nest is a hole in a tree, and 4-8 glossy white eggs
are laid on wood chips.
n race P. v. sharpei.
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.
(sometimes this taxon is considered a subspecies of the European Green Woodpecker by some authors)
This woodpecker’s insect
food is captured by a rapid outward flick of the long tongue, and gummed to its tip by sticky saliva
. Though a large and heavy bird it has an easy, bounding flight. The call is a loud ringing laugh, plue, plue, plue, very like the Green Woodpecker’s yaffle, but perhaps slightly faster.
This species was named in honour of the French
explorer, collector and ornithologist, François Le Vaillant
.
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
family Piciformes. It occurs as a resident breeder in the three Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
countries Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in northwest Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Levaillant’s Woodpecker breeds in mountain forests up to the treeline at around 2000m. The nest is a hole in a tree, and 4-8 glossy white eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
are laid on wood chips.
Description
Levaillant’s Woodpecker is 30-33 cm in length with a 45-51 cm wingspan. It is very similar to the European Green Woodpecker, especially females of the IberiaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
n race P. v. sharpei.
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.
Subspecies
There are no known subspecies (monotypic)(sometimes this taxon is considered a subspecies of the European Green Woodpecker by some authors)
This woodpecker’s insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
food is captured by a rapid outward flick of the long tongue, and gummed to its tip by sticky saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
. Though a large and heavy bird it has an easy, bounding flight. The call is a loud ringing laugh, plue, plue, plue, very like the Green Woodpecker’s yaffle, but perhaps slightly faster.
This species was named in honour of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer, collector and ornithologist, François Le Vaillant
François Le Vaillant
François Levaillant or Le Vaillant was a French author, explorer, naturalist, zoological collector, and noted ornithologist.-Biography:...
.