# Puerto Rican Woodpecker

Scientific name: Melanerpes portoricensis

Bird group: [woodpecker](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/woodpecker)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/190/Puerto-Rican-Woodpecker

## Identification

The Puerto Rican woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) is the only woodpecker endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and is one of the five species of the genus Melanerpes that occur in the Antilles. Furthermore, it is the only resident species of the family Picidae in Puerto Rico. The species is common on the main island of Puerto Rico and rare on the island of Vieques.
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. 


## Distribution and habitat

The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is a common endemic species 
in Puerto Rico known to 
occur throughout the main 
island (Raffaele 1989a), and it 
is fairly common in Vieques 
(Gemmill 2015). This species 
is more common in hills and 
lowlands associated with forests, 
mangroves, and shade coffee 
plantations, but it also occurs in 
palm groves, parks, gardens, and 
woodlots, from the coast to the 
mountains (Oberle 2018, Raffaele 
1989a). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 814 records 
within 388 hexagons or 81 
percent of the 479 total hexagons (see map). Of the 388 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 24 percent (93) 
of the hexagons, probable in 
39 percent (153), and possible 
in 37 percent (142) (see map 
and table). Puerto Rican Woodpecker distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life 
zones in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the Puerto Rican 
Woodpecker excavates cavities 
in high trees or palms in January 
or February and lays eggs later, 
followed by fl edglings reported 
from late March to June (Toms 
2010). Old or abandoned nests 
are sometimes used by other       181Puerto Rican Woodpecker/Carpintero de Puerto Ricocavity-nesting species such as the American Kestrel (Falco 
sparverius), the Caribbean 
Martin (Progne dominicensis), 
and the Puerto Rican Flycatcher 
(Myiarchus antillarum) 
(J.A. Salguero-Faría, personal 
observation 2009). Atlas results 
indicate that the woodpecker 
breeding season extends 
throughout the year but is more 
active from March to June, with 
a peak in May (see chart). This 
seasonal pattern of woodpecker 
breeding appears to coincide in 
each of the life zones with no 
evidence to suggest breeding times differ among the life zones. 
Results show that the Puerto 
Rican Woodpecker mostly breeds 
within the subtropical moist 
forest life zone (61 percent of 
the hexagons). Breeding for this 
species was also reported for 
the subtropical wet and lower 
montane wet forest life zones 
(22 percent of the hexagons), the 
subtropical dry forest life zone 
(17 percent of the hexagons), 
and for only one hexagon 
(1 percent of the hexagons) in 
the subtropical rain and lower 
montane rain forest life zones 
(see table and map).

## Conservation

The Puerto Rican Woodpecker exhibits a stable population 
within its distribution range, and 
it is listed as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). Locally, this 
species is not listed in any of the 
threatened categories of PRDNER 
and USFWS. In Puerto Rico, 
the Puerto Rican Woodpecker 
has a protected habitat in land 
of 13 percent or 1167 km2 of the total area covered by the 
hexagons where evidence of 
breeding was found for this 
species (9255 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_190_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_190_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.