Day 71: White-browed piculet – Sasia ochracea
Bamboo bambino
This pretty little bird is a
close relative of the woodpeckers, being in the same family Picidae but the piculet
subfamily Picuminae. As, essentially, miniature woodpeckers, the piculets
(literally ‘small woodpecker’) have many of the adaptations of their larger
cousins which I will discuss later. One thing all woodpeckers do is
nest in holes which they drill into trees. In the case of the white-browed
piculet, it is not trees that house the nests but bamboo stems. They prove that pandas are not the only bamboo specialists although this piculet is not found in Southwest Asia rather than China.
Day 72: White-naped woodpecker – Chrysocolaptes festivus
Pack a hard hat
The white-naped woodpecker is a
member of the vibrant flamebacks (Chrysocolaptes
spp.) As well as the gold and orange colouration that characterises this genus,
the male white-naped woodpecker also sports a splendid, crimson crest. The red
crest is actually common to many woodpeckers species including the pileated
woodpecker which probably inspired the cartoon Woody Woodpecker. In fact
the red in the male’s crest is something I want to pick up on as, across the
woodpeckers, I found that the amount of the red on the head was diagnostic of the sex of the individuals. I accept that there are exceptions but, by-and-large, all that was required to sex a specimen was to
check the extent of red on the head with males generally having more.
Although the dimorphism of pheasants, ducks etc was obvious, it varied greatly
from species to species yet with woodpeckers I do not think I have encountered
such consistent dichromatism.
The white-naped woodpecker is a
very typical woodpecker and thus exhibits the adaptations that define the
clade. Woodpeckers obviously peck wood. This
is generally an activity undertaken to procure insects hidden beneath the bark
of trees but woodpeckers also use their chisel-like bills to excavate holes and
to drum in spring courtship. Drumming is a physically challenging act with
woodpeckers experiencing deceleration rates of 1,000 g! To cope with this, they
have relatively small brains orientated within their reinforced skulls in such
a way as to maximise contact (minimising pressure) and minimise contact time. The
strenuous activity of pecking up to 12,000 times a day is supported by strong
neck muscles, gripping, zygodactylic feet and a thick, rigid tail which braces the whole bird. Additionally woodpeckers
protect themselves from flying debris with feathered, closable nostrils and
translucent nictitating membranes which flick across the eyes.
Once suitable excavations are
made into bark, woodpeckers insert their extremely long, barbed tongues into crevices to wheedle
out ants and larvae. Extending up to three times the length of the bill, these incredible
tongues are retracted back into the head, coiling up behind the brain where
they aid the cushioning tissue encasing the brain. Woodpeckers are biological machines.
Day 73: Lesser spotted woodpecker – Dendrocopos minor
The wish list
Lesser spotted woodpeckers are
one of four woodpecker species found in the UK, the others being the enigmatic
wryneck (Jynx torquilla), the ubiquitous
great spotted woodpecker (Dendocopos
major) and the laughing, ant-eating, weasel-sporting green woodpecker (Picus viridis). The lessser spotted woodpecker is of
significance for its placement on two special lists. Firstly, it is the last
species that I shall discuss from the main collection at Tring. After five
months in the Natural History Musuem’s bird collection we have reached the
bottom of our list of non-passerines. However, this is not quite the end as we
have yet to measure the very large bird species (ratites, storks, cranes etc) housed
in the Large Collection as well as the endangered and extinct species and
species known only from type specimens. These remaining species will be
discussed next week but for now, the majority of the job is done!
The second list upon which the
lesser spotted woodpecker finds itself is my wish list. As a birder (and
part-time twitcher) I keep a list of all the bird species I have observed in
the UK (224 and growing). Whilst recent additions have been rare birds twitched
in the West Country (black-winged stilt, penduline tits and Bonaparte’s gull) I
am inclined to spend some time finding the less rare but less twitchable birds
of this country. The sparrow-sized lesser spotted woodpecker is far less common
than its larger counterpart. Pairs keep large territories and signal to each other with
high-pitched, staccato drumming a noise which, coupled with calling, can give
them away. Otherwise, their unobtrusive habits and sparse distribution make
them difficult to see and the closest I have come is hearing a call or two in the New Forest. The season for drumming
is dwindling so I may have to wait until next year to see one but hope to discover for myself this species, and others, in the years to come.
And thus, whilst one ornithological adventure draws to an end, the lesser spotted woodpecker is one of many I hope to come.
