IBERIAN GREEN WOODPECKER

Picus sharpei

English: Iberian Woodpecker.
German: Iberiengrünspecht.
French: Pic de Sharpe.

Clasificación/Clasification

Order: Piciformes.
Family: Picidae.

Longitud/Length

31-33 cm.

Envergadura/Wingspan

40-42 cm.

Aves relacionadas/Similar species

It is not possible to confuse the Eurasian Green Woodpecker with any other species.

Sexo/Sexing

Adult specimens show marked sexual dimorphism. The male has a bright red moustache with black edges. In contrast, the female’s moustache is tinged with dark shades and lacks red. In juvenile specimens, only males with a red moustache can be sexed with certainty, and even some very young males can have a dark moustache, so this characteristic is reliable for sexing only when the molting process in body feathers is advanced.

Edad/Ageing

It is possible to recognize 3 different ages:

Juvenile specimen: They have white speckles on the back. The lower parts are speckled with dark tones. The tertials have a light tip and the barring is also in light tones. The primary coverts are noticeably narrower compared to adult specimens.

1st year / 2nd year specimen: These individuals have a similar appearance to adults, except that in the wing, the replaced feathers contrast with the retained juvenile feathers. In the case of having any replaced tertial, it is greenish and new, contrasting with the unchanged, lighter, worn, and barred juvenile feathers. Conversely, if no tertial has been replaced, then all feathers will have the same level of wear and a clear barring. The primary coverts are from the juvenile generation (in some individuals, a replaced one can be observed, and then the molt limit is easily observable) so they are more worn than neighboring feathers.

Adult specimen: All feathers are from the same generation. The back and lower parts have no speckles. The tertials are green without a light tip. The primary coverts are wide and rounded, presenting wear similar to that of the rest of the coverts.

Muda/Moult

El Pito real realiza una muda postnupcial completa que suele comenzar en el mes de junio, finalizando en el mes de noviembre. La muda postjuvenil es parcial e incluye plumas corporales, Coberteras Secundarias Medianas y Pequeñas, todas o parte de las grandes coberteras, a veces una o dos Terciarias, Primarias y Rectrices, por lo que las Coberteras Primarias (a veces algunas son cambiadas) y Secundarias quedan sin mudar. Este proceso suele finalizar en el mes de noviembre.

Configuración del plumaje/Plumage configuration

Primaries: 10 per wing.
Secundaries: 11-12 per wing.
Rectrices: 12.

Observaciones/Remarks

Link: http://blascozumeta.com/

La obtención de este material ha sido posible gracias al permiso necesario de la Junta de Andalucía.

AUTORIZACIÓN DE LA DIRECTORA GENERAL DE MEDIO NATURAL, BIODIVERSIDAD Y ESPACIOS PROTEGIDOS DE LA CONSEJERÍA DE AGRICULTURA, GANADERÍA, PESCA Y DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LA JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA, PARA LA CESIÓN DE MUESTRAS BIOLÓGICAS DE ESPECIES DE FAUNA (ARTÍCULO 9 DE LA LEY 8/2003, DE 28 DE OCTUBRE, DE LA FLORA Y LA FAUNA SILVESTRES).

Medidas/Measures

Biometría/Biometrics

Adult specimen:
Beak tip to pupil center:
Tarsus:

Adult male specimen

1.- Left wing primaries. 2.- Primaries. 3.- Details of P10. 4.- Details of the outer vane of outer primaries. 5.- Details of the tip of the inner primaries. 6.- Details of the tip of the outer primaries. 7.- Details of P1. 8.- Details of P1. 9.- Details of the tip of P2. 10.- Details of the inner vane of P3. 11.- Left wing secondaries and tertials. 12.- Secondaries and tertials. 13.- Details of S1. 14.- Details of S2. 15.- Tertials. 16.- Details of the tip of the secondaries. 17.- Details of the outer vane of the secondaries. 18.- Left wing primaries, secondaries and tertials. 19.- Left wing primaries, secondaries and tertials. 20.- Details of the primary coverts. 21.- Details of the greater coverts. 22.- Primaries, secondaries, tertials. Primary coverts and greater coverts (G, M and L). Alulas. 23.- Details of the secondary coverts. 24.- Primary coverts. 25.- Greater coverts. 26.- Alulas. 27.- Rectrices. 28.- Rectrices. 29.- Rectrices + uppertail coverts. 30.- Details of the uppertail coverts. 31.- Details of the uppertail coverts. 32.- Details of R6. 33.- Uppertail coverts. 34.- Details of the tip of the rectrices. 35.- Details of the tip of the rectrices. 36.- Details of the rectrices. 37.- Rectrices + undertail coverts. 38.- Details of the undertail coverts. 39.- Undertail coverts. 40.- Left wing primary infra-coverts. 41.- Mounting of the back feathers. 42.- Back feathers. 43.- Mounting of the rump feathers. 44.- Rump feathers. 45.- Chest feathers. 46.- Mounting of the chest feathers. 47.- Crown feathers. 48.- Crown feathers.

IBERIAN GREEN WOODPECKER

Medidas/Measures

Adult male specimen

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