More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Birds of Zihuatanejo
CLASS AVES
-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)
-Woodpeckers, Barbets, and Allies (Order Piciformes)
-Large American Woodpeckers (Genus Campephilus)
-Pale-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis)
Large red-headed woodpeckers belonging to the Picidae family and are found in multiple locations all across Central America and North America. They commonly eat the large larvae of wood boring beetles excavated from the trunks and limbs of large trees and dead and decaying wood. The male has a red head and crest; the female is similar, but the crest and throat are black.
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Campephilus guatemalensis
Diet
Primarily wood-boring beetle larvae, carpenter ants, termites, and other insects found beneath bark and within decaying wood.
Also feeds on adult insects, spiders, and occasionally fruits and seeds.
Excavates large, rectangular holes in dead or dying trees using its powerful chisel-like bill.
Range
Found from southern Mexico through Central America to western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.
In Mexico, it occurs along both the Pacific and Gulf slopes, including the Zihuatanejo region.
Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical evergreen forests, gallery forests, mature secondary forests, and woodland edges.
A year-round resident throughout its range.
Male / Female
Male: Bright crimson-red crest extending from the forehead to the nape; pale ivory bill; black body with bold white facial and neck stripes.
Female: Similar overall appearance, but the forehead and front of the crest are black, with red restricted to the rear of the crest. The facial stripe also extends farther onto the face than in the male.
The colour of the forehead and crest is the most reliable field mark for distinguishing the sexes.
Size
Length: 40–46 cm (16–18 in)
Wingspan: 66–75 cm (26–30 in)
Weight: 250–350 g