Melanerpes radiolatus (Wagler, 1827)

Taxonomy and Common Name

Melanerpes radiolatus (Wagler, 1827), commonly called the Jamaican woodpecker, measures 24 to 26 cm (9.4 to 10 inches) in length and weighs 92 to 131 g (3.2 to 4.6 ounces).

Sexual Dimorphism Overview

The plumage of males and females is identical except for head patterning.

Adult Male Head Patterning

Adult males have a whitish to buff forehead, with red coloring extending from the forecrown to the hindneck.

Adult Female Head Patterning

Adult females share the same white to buffy white forehead, but have a gray crown, with red restricted to the hindcrown and hindneck.

Upperparts Coloration

The species' upperparts are black with thin white bars that sometimes show a greenish tinge; these bars are widest on the rump and uppertail coverts.

Flight Feather Characteristics

Flight feathers are black with narrow white bars covering their entire length.

Tail Appearance

The tail is black, with some white bars on the central pair of tail feathers and white spots on the outermost pair.

Facial Markings

The lores are yellowish, while the cheeks, chin, and throat are white.

Underparts Coloration

Underparts are mostly olive-gray to olive-buff, with yellowish to reddish coloring on the central belly; lower flanks and undertail coverts are black with white bars.

Bare Part Features

The bill is long and black, the iris is red, the bare skin surrounding the eye ranges from gray to brown, and the legs are slaty black.

Juvenile Plumage

Juveniles are duller in color than adults, with grayer underparts but a yellower central belly.

Juvenile Sexual Dimorphism

Juveniles have brown eyes, and both sexes have red on the crown, though females have less red than males.

Species Range

The Jamaican woodpecker is found across the entire island of Jamaica.

Habitat Types

It lives in a wide range of wooded habitats, including lower montane rainforest, wet misty forests, mangroves, wooded pastures, citrus and coconut plantations, and gardens.

Highest Density Habitat

It reaches its highest population density in mesophytic secondary forest.

Elevation Range

It occurs at all elevations, ranging from sea level up to Jamaica's highest mountains.