Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii)

24 January 2009, Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica Nail cloned out in Photoshop. This is the other common species of Woodpecker. This is a male with an all red crown. Away from feeders, we often saw this bird foraging quite low in the trees. It prefers more open areas compared to the Black-cheeked and has expanded its range into areas opened for agriculture and settlement. This species ranges from Honduras to Costa Rica. We were near the southern limit of its range. It closely resembles the Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons) which ranges from Texas and Oklahoma south through Mexico to Honduras. In fact the two apparently hybridize in Honduras. Some authors lump Hoffmann's with Golden-fronted, an arrangement that makes sense to me. No subspecies are recognized. Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)