Knock! Knock!
Who’s
there? Woody. Woody who? Would you like to know about these noisy birds that
are sooner heard than seen? Faraaz Abdool considers Tobago’s avian jackhammers.
See more from Faraaz at farazabdool.com
Mention the word “woodpecker” and
many of us recall a single image of a large black bird with a conspicuous red
head. In fact, this general description has made certain species of woodpecker
instantly recognizable and one of the easiest birds to identify in the world.
We owe this to the popularity of the cartoon character “Woody Woodpecker”, an
endearing animated version of the Pileated Woodpecker – a large and conspicuous
resident of North America’s forested areas – that entertained generations since
the 1940’s.
Woodpeckers are dramatic characters;
much of their day is spent pounding their heads against the trunks and branches
of trees in search of food items that can range from spiders to insect larvae.
A hole is made in the bark, and the bird’s long, sticky and barbed tongue
shoots out at high speed, catching anything in its path. In fact, woodpeckers
are so adept at removing these invertebrates from within the bark of trees that
they may be necessary to maintain tree health, providing protection from mass infestations
that may eventually kill large trees. Although the prospect of banging one’s
head against a tree all day every day for the duration of one’s life might give
you a headache just thinking about it, woodpeckers are designed for this
activity.
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| Male red-crowned woodpecker Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool |
Starting at the primary tool in
its arsenal, the beak is made of three separate layers, keratin, foam and dense
bone. These layers combine to dissipate the massive decelerating forces the
bird experiences (which can exceed a thousand times the gravitational force)
throughout the entire body of the bird, minimizing its impact on the brain. That
long tongue that’s so effective at withdrawing insects from deep within the
bark of a tree is kept in a special cavity that encases the bird’s skull –
effectively cushioning it from the massive forces present whilst the woodpecker
hammers away. The vast majority of woodpeckers have specially designed feet to
help them hop around vertically – two of their toes point forward while the
other two point backward. Further to their zygodactyl feet, their tail feathers
have stiff shafts, which help to support the bird as it climbs and probes.
Our favourite cartoon
woodpecker, however, cannot be found anywhere within Trinidad or Tobago. On
Trinidad, only two of the largest species share the famous red and black
woodpecker suit. Size and the need to blend in have been proven to be inversely
proportional in nature; and smaller woodpeckers are more likely to ditch their
trademark black and red plumage in favour of something more incognito.
Tobago is home to three species
of woodpecker, of which the most ubiquitous is not found at all on neighboring
Trinidad. Very often found in pairs consisting of a male and female bird,
Red-crowned Woodpeckers are extremely vocal and usually announce their presence
by a shrill rattling call. At a glance this bird may resemble an enlarged
Barred Antshrike, but as with most woodpeckers, the red feathers give it away.
It is actually the subtle patterns of red which allow us to tell the difference
between males and females on woodpeckers.
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| Female Red-crowned Woodpecker Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool |
For the Red-crowned Woodpecker,
only male birds sport the signature red crown, while females wear calmer, muted shades of cream. Both
sexes have a small red patch on their underside, which along with their barred
black and white upper parts reveal their close relationship to other species
not found here such as Red-bellied Woodpecker, West Indian Woodpecker and
Hoffmann’s Woodpecker (with which it interbreeds where their ranges overlap,
causing much confusion). This charismatic species has been observed landing on
hummingbird feeders, putting their long tongues to use to access the nectar
from the feeder. Curious bees and wasps at the feeder are also fair game for
this omnivore.
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| Female Red-rumped woodpecker Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool |
The smallest woodpecker found
on Tobago is also the toughest to see. Found only within the Main Ridge Forest
Reserve, the Red-rumped Woodpecker is often inconspicuous as it hops along
branches and fallen trees within the forest. Interestingly enough, on Trinidad
this bird inhabits a variety of habitats including virgin forest and mangrove swamps
– but is equally difficult to get an eye on! Similar to the aforementioned
Red-crowned Woodpecker, male Red-rumped Woodpeckers have a wash of red on their
heads which females lack. Both sexes do have a bright red rump, plainly visible
when the bird takes flight.
The extravagant sounding
Golden-olive Woodpecker definitely lives up to its name, there is no other
description to accurately describe the colour of its plumage. Resembling the
Red-rumped Woodpecker, the wings and back of the Golden-olive Woodpecker are
much brighter and well, golden. Golden-olive Woodpeckers also possess a
striking facial pattern, proper inspection of which would crack the gender code
for this species. A strip of feathers starting from the base of the bird’s bill
and extending towards the neck is called the malar stripe, it is this stripe
which is red in males and dark grey in females.
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| Male Golden-olive woodpecker Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool |
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| Female Golden-olive woodpecker Photo courtesy Faraaz Abdool |
Golden-olive Woodpeckers aren’t
as widespread as Red-crowned Woodpeckers but they are just as noisy. Familiarity
with their shrill calls will serve as a beacon for ardent birders seeking
to view this flamboyant species. Wooded
estates such as cocoa plantations are ideal habitat for them along with all
other forested areas on the island, at all elevations. Although Golden-olive
Woodpeckers are fairly common across both Trinidad and Tobago, it should be
noted that both islands are home to two separate subspecies – the birds on
Tobago are slightly larger and heavier billed than their Trinidadian
counterparts.
Woodpeckers are complex,
advanced and marvelous birds, whether in terms of social structure,
bio-mechanical adaptations or simple aesthetics. Just like ancient humans, they
communicate not only by voice but by drumming on specific trees in the forest.
Many species are monogamous, keeping each other company as they forage, often
working the same tree together. We are lucky to have not one, but three of
these amazing birds sharing our space.
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| Lineated woodpecker in a Trinidad tree. "Makes a call like a car alarm" says Faraaz Abdool Photo courtesy Merryl See Tai |
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