Beautiful Woodpecker

Beautiful Woodpecker
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Piciformes
Family:	Picidae
Genus:	Melanerpes
Species:	M. pulcher
Binomial name
Melanerpes pulcher P.L. Sclater, 1870

Adult male (foreground, above) and female (background, below)

The Beautiful Woodpecker (Melanerpes pulcher) is a bird species in the woodpecker family (Picidae). It is endemic to Colombia.

Until recently, it was united with the Golden-naped Woodpecker (M. chrysauchen) of Central America as subspecies. But the different appearance and allopatric ranges argue in favor of recognizing the two as distinct species.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

References

• BirdLife International 2006. Melanerpes pulcher. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 27 July 2007.