FAMILY PICIDAE 549 



DRYOCOPUS LINEATUS NUPERUS (Peters) 



Ceophloeus lineatus nuperus Peters, Occ. Pap. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 5, 

 September 2, 1930, p. 320. (La Concepcion, 900 meters, Sierra Nevada de 

 Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia.) 



Characters. — Under wing coverts pale yellow to white ; throat 

 averaging paler, with more white. 



A male, taken at Armila, San Bias, February 25, 1963, had the 

 iris yellowish white ; bill black ; tarsus and toes greenish neutral gray ; 

 claws black. 



A female, collected at Pucro, Darien, February 2, 1964, had the 

 iris ivory-white; tips of maxilla and mandible, and basal two-thirds 

 of mandible brownish neutral gray ; rest of bill black ; tarsus and 

 toes dull brownish neutral gray ; claws black. Another female, secured 

 at Puerto Armuelles, Chiriqui, February 8, 1966, had the iris light 

 orange-yellow, and the bill dull black. 



Measurements. — Males (13 from Panama), wing 175.0-186.0 

 (180.3), tail 105.0-117.1 (111.5), oilmen from base 37.7-41.8 (39.5), 

 tarsus 29.4-31.9 (30.5) mm. 



Females (16 from Panama), wing 173-187 (177.8), tail 105.8- 

 114.7 (108.9), culmen from base 33.9-39.0 (36.9), tarsus 28.8-31.3 

 (30.1) mm. 



Resident. Common, widely distributed in wooded areas in the low- 

 lands ; on the Pacific slope from western Chiriqui to eastern Darien ; 

 on the Caribbean side from eastern Veraguas through San Bias. 



Although this is a forest bird, it ranges widely in feeding in the 

 tall hardwoods left standing in many clearings, and also in the large 

 trees that line the courses of streams in savanna country, as well as in 

 swampy woods in the lowlands near the coast. They are thus con- 

 spicuous members of the family because of their size, and their regular 

 appearance in isolated trees. The fast-growing second growth that 

 covers abandoned fields is suitable for their needs also, as soon as the 

 guarumos (Cecropia) are of fair size. Through this adaptability this 

 woodpecker may remain in areas where other forest birds have dis- 

 appeared. 



They are spirited and active in movement, often calling attention 

 by rattling calls, as well as by their drumming on dead branches. The 

 drum sometimes is divided: first several quick strokes followed 

 instantly by a series more rapid that produce a blur of sound. Natural- 

 ists who know the related pileated woodpecker {Dryocopus pileatus) 

 of North America will find the drum similar but often less far-reach- 

 ing and sonorous. 



