Puerto Rican Woodpecker
A species of Melanerpine Woodpeckers Scientific name : Melanerpes portoricensis Genus : Melanerpine Woodpeckers
Puerto Rican Woodpecker, A species of Melanerpine Woodpeckers
Botanical name: Melanerpes portoricensis
Genus: Melanerpine Woodpeckers
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Wruiz7 , used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The Puerto Rican woodpecker has a black body and a bright red throat and breast. It has a white patch that runs across the head from eye to eye. Its flanks and lower body have a light tangerine coloration. As with the majority of birds sexual dimorphism is present in this species. The males' throat and breast are more brightly colored than the females' with females tending to be all-around duller in coloration. There is also a substantial (~18%) difference in bill length between sexes. Also males are slightly bigger than females. Its average weight is 56.0 grams. Its body length varies between 23 and 27 centimetres. 
Size
22 cm
Colors
Brown
Black
Red
Gray
White
Orange
Life Expectancy
7.7 years
Feeding Habits
Puerto Rican Woodpecker primarily consumes insects, fruits, and nuts, foraging on tree trunks and branches. It uniquely drills cavities in agave stalks to feed on fermenting sap, showcasing a specialized feeding adaptation.
Habitat
Puerto Rican Woodpecker are adaptable and occupy a variety of wooded habitats. Commonly residing in forests, they demonstrate a particular affinity for shade coffee plantations, which can surpass native forests in terms of population density. These birds are also found in mangroves, coconut and Honduran pine plantations, indicating a flexibility in habitat selection. Despite being present in all elevations of rainforests, their numbers are generally lower compared to the dry forests where they thrive. Urban environments, such as parks and gardens, provide viable habitats, especially when small to medium-sized forest patches are present. While deforestation may impact some specialized habitats, it can also create refuges like coconut plantations where puerto Rican Woodpecker adapt successfully.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Behavior
The Puerto Rican woodpecker is said to resemble the behavior and structure of the North American red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Like the majority of woodpeckers this species uses its bill to drill holes in trunks in search of prey. The principal component of its diet are insects such as ants, beetle larvae and others. Fruits are also important, composing one-quarter of its diet. Rarely it may eat scorpions, geckos and coquís. Females lay from 1 to 6 white eggs in cavities carved by males. The nests of M. portoricensis are used by other Puerto Rican endemic birds such as the Puerto Rican flycatcher (Myiarchus antillarum) and the yellow-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus).
Distribution Area
The Puerto Rican woodpecker is a common and widely distributed species in Puerto Rico, mainly occurring in forests, coffee plantations, mangroves, palm tree groves, parks and gardens. Besides occurring in Puerto Rico it once inhabited the island of St. Croix. This stems from the fact that during the Pleistocene epoch Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St. Croix and the other Virgin Islands constituted a single landmass. It is believed that at this time the species extended its range to St. Croix and Vieques.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Family
Woodpeckers Genus
Melanerpine Woodpeckers Species
Puerto Rican Woodpecker 
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