| Guadeloupe Woodpecker (Melanerpes herminieri (Lesson, 1830)) |
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Scientific name: Melanerpes herminieri (Lesson, 1830) Common name: Guadeloupe Woodpecker French name: Pic de la Guadeloupe, Tapeur. Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Size: Size: 26 to 28 cm; Weight: 70 to 96 g. Habitat: All woodland habitats of Guadeloupe, from damp tropical forest to mangrove. They need dead trees to nest. Food: Larvae, insects et myriapods picked in dead wood, but also fruits and berries. Nesting: The nest is a hole excavated in a dead tree trunk. The nesting season extends from February to August. There can be three juveniles per brood. Migration: Sedentary. The Guadeloupe Woodpecker is a territorial bird which lives in an area of about 7 to 13 acres. Geographic area: Endemic species to Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre). This is the only Woodpecker of the Lesser Antilles. |
The Guadeloupe Woodpecker has a black plumage with red parts on the throat and on the underside. The upper side may show a bluish sheen. The bill and the legs are dark grey. The male's bill is longer than the female' one. The Guadeloupe Woodpecker species is threatened by deforestation and by Black Rats which are able to climb to the nest to eat the eggs. |
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I have observed two Guadeloupe Woodpeckers during my stay of one week in Basse-Terre. I have done this second observation on the footpath next to the "Maison de la Forêt", on the "route de la Traversée". |
André Bon March 2011
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