Reichenow's Woodpecker

Taxobox
name = Reichenow's Woodpecker


status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Piciformes
familia = Picidae
genus = "Campethera"
species = "C. scriptoricauda"
binomial = "Campethera scriptoricauda"
binomial_authority = (Reichenow, 1896)
synonyms =

Reichenow's Woodpecker or the Speckle-throated Woodpecker ("Campethera scriptoricauda") is an East African woodpecker often considered a subspecies of Bennett's Woodpecker.cite book | author = Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A.; and Pearson, David J. | year = 1999 | title = Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Field Guide Edition | publisher = Princeton University Press | pages = 150–151, 408–4095 | id = ISBN 0-691-01022-6 | url = http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Kenya-Northern-Tanzania-Field/dp/0713663057/ref=sr_1_1/103-7769821-1663055?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185557975&sr=8-1 | accessdate = 2007-07-26]

It is greenish above with yellowish barring (giving a slightly yellower appearance than the similar Nubian Woodpecker) and pale yellowish below with black speckles. The speckles continue forward through the throat, the main point of distinction from both the Nubian and Bennett's Woodpeckers.cite book | author = Sinclair, Ian; Hockey, Phil; and Tarboton, Warwick | year = 2002 | title = Birds of Southern Africa | publisher = Princeton University Press | pages = 278–279 | id = ISBN 0-691-09862-1 | url = http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0691096821/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-7769821-1663055#reader-link | accessdate = 2007-08-04] The bill is pale, depicted as yellow or off-white.

Among its calls in Tanzania are "wi-wi-wi-wi-wi" and a short "churr"." At least in Mozambique, it is probably vocally indistinguishable from Bennett's Woodpecker.

It lives in open woodland in Mozambiquecite web | title = ABC African Checklist (passerines) | year = 2006 | last = Lack | first = Peter | publisher = African Bird Club | url = http://www.africanbirdclub.org/resources/passerines_2006.doc | format = doc | accessdate = 2007-08-04] between Beira and the lower Zambezi river, in central and southeastern Malawi, and in eastern and central Tanzania north to Handeni as well as in the North Pare Mountains and around Mount Kilimanjaro. Formerly it was also found around Mombasa, Kenya. It inhabits open woodlands. At least in Mozambique, it prefers broad-leaved woodland with an understory of tall grass, and it is probably rather common.

This bird has been considered a subspecies of the Nubian Woodpecker. On the other hand, some authorities lump it with Bennett's Woodpecker [citation | author = BirdLife International 2007 | title = 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species | url = http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/49373/all | accessdate = 2007-10-13, citing citation | last1 = Dowsett | first1 = R. J. | last2 = Forbes-Watson | first2 = A. D. | year = 1993 | title = Checklist of Birds of the Afrotropical and Malagasy Regions. Volume 1: Species limits and distribution | publisher = Tauraco Press] , Zimmerman "et al." because "it is said to intergrade freely with nominate "bennettii" in Malawi" Here it is considered a separate species following the "Handbook of the Birds of the World"citation | last1 = del Hoyo | first1 = J. | last2 = Elliott | first2 = A. | last3 = Sargatal | first3 = J. | year = 2002 | title = Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 7: Jacamars To Woodpeckers |publisher = Lynx Edicions | location = Barcelona | isbn = 84-87334-15-6] and other authorities. [Citation | last = Clements | first = James F. | author-link = James F. Clements | year = 2007 | title = The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World | publisher = Cornell University Press | edition = Sixth | isbn = 978-0-8014-4501-9, according to citation | last = Lepage | first = Denis | year = 2003–2007 | title = Avibase - the world bird database | url = http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/species.jsp?lang=EN&id=0C9FA6CE5DE13A58&ts=1192416209578&sec=summary | accessdate = 2007-10-13]

References