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Books about Woodpeckers

The books are listed in order of publication date with the most recent at the top.


Woodpeckers

Family: Picidae

In the UK

Green Woodpecker
Picus viridis

Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopus major

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopus minor

Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla

Other woodpeckers

There are approximately 200 species worldwide in the family Picidae. The family includes woodpeckers, piculets, wrynecks and sapsuckers.

 

Woodpecker

Gerard Gorman

Animal series

Reaktion Books

2017

184 pages, 112 colour illustrations

"Highly regarded woodpecker expert Gerard Gorman delves into the natural and cultural history of woodpeckers, presenting their natural, social and cultural history. He explores their origins and where they are found, and how they have fascinated humankind throughout history, from ancient Babylon, Greece and Rome, via the tribes of North America and the jungles of Amazonia and Borneo, to the modern cartoon rascal Woody Woodpecker. He describes how they feature in folk tales, myths and legends wherever they occur, and how their fluctuating relationship with humans has developed. Featuring many stunning photographs and illustrations from both nature and culture, Woodpecker will appeal to anyone who is interested in these extraordinary birds."

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Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North America

Stephen A. Shunk

Peterson Refernce Guides

Houghton Mifflin

2016

"From the iconic Woody Woodpecker to the ubiquitous Northern Flicker, woodpeckers have long captivated our attention. Their astonishing anatomy makes them one of the most specialized bird families in the world, and their keystone ecological roles in our forests and woodlands makes them some of the most important birds on the continent.This comprehensive and authoritative guide to the natural history, ecology, and conservation of North America s 23 woodpecker species goes far beyond identification. It explores their unique anatomy and their fascinating and often comical behaviors; it covers each species North American conservation status; and it showcases over 250 stunning photographs of woodpeckers in their natural habitats, plus easy-to-read figures and range maps."

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Developments in Woodpecker Biology

Editor: Hans WInkler

Denisia Vol 36

Biologiezentrum

2015

A collection of papers. Contents: Phylogeny, biogeography and systematics Evolutionary morphology of the woodpeckers (Picidae); The brains of woodpeckers; Cognition in woodpeckers; Nest webs and woodpecker ecological services: the role of woodpeckers in tree cavity-using wildlife communities in North America; Foraging signs and cavities of some European woodpeckers (Picidae) - Identifying the clues that lead to establishing the presence of species; Breeding biology of the Lilford Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos lilfordi in the Western Pyrenees; and Population density and habitat selection of woodpeckers in mountain forests of the Northern Limestone Alps

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Woodpeckers of the World: The Complete Guide

Gerard Gorman

Helm Photographic Guide Series

Bloomsbury

2014

"This book is the first definitive guide to woodpeckers; it covers all 239 species. Detailed text looks in detail at the biology of the birds, with particular emphasis on field identification, along with voice, habitat, status, racial variation and distribution. The text is accompanied by a series of high-quality photographs – more than 750 images, carefully selected to highlight identification criteria. Each species entry is completed by an accurate colour range map. A sister to Owls of the World in the Helm Photographic Guides series, Woodpeckers of the World is an informative, fact-filled and beautifully illustrated guide to a group beloved by all birders."

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Woodpeckers of the World: A Photographic Guide

Gerard Gorman

Firefly Books

2014

This is the North American edition of Woodpeckers of the World: The Complete Guide - listed above.

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Looking for the Ivory-Billed-Woodpecker in Eastern Cuba

Alberto R. Estrada

2014

"The author tells how he was involved in a project to find a bird almost extinct, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. That situation gave him the opportunity to participate, between 1985 and 1993, in a series of scientific expeditions to the region of the spring sources of Toa and Moa, one of the least explored by Zoologists in Cuba. The book presents abundant photographic and documentary material related to the project."

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Imperial Dreams: Tracking the Imperial Woodpecker Through the Wild Sierra Madre

Tim Gallagher

Atria Books

2013

"Explorer and naturalist Tim Gallagher is obsessed with rare birds. A decade ago, Gallagher was one of the rediscoverers of the legendary ivory-billed woodpecker, which most scientists believed had been extinct for more than half a century - an event that caused an international stir. Now, in Imperial Dreams, Gallagher once again hits the trail, journeying deep into Mexico's savagely beautiful Sierra Madre Occidental, home to rich wildlife, as well as to Mexican drug cartels, in a perilous quest to locate the most elusive bird in the world - the imperial woodpecker, a giant among its clan."

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Biodiversity in Dead Wood

Jogeir N. Stokland, Juha Siitonen, Bengt Gunnar Jonsson

Cambridge University Press

2012

"This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks."

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The Black Woodpecker: A Monograph on Dryocopus martius

Eduardo Garcia-del-Rey

Lynx Edicions

2011

"This comprehensive monograph covers all aspects of the life of one of the largest and most striking picids on the planet. Morphology, identification, communication, distribution, behaviour, breeding and relationships, both with other wildlife and mankind, are just some of the topics covered in thirteen highly readable and authoritative chapters. The text is enriched by two exquisite colour plates, original black-and-white illustrations, unique drumming waveforms and sonograms of calls, accurate maps and superb colour photographs. An extensive bibliography includes works in many languages. Gerard Gorman has supplemented his long hours in the company of Black Woodpeckers with in-depth literature research to produce the definitive work on this species. "The Black Woodpecker" is a personal account written for all, whether professional or amateur, who are interested in woodpeckers and indeed all forest birds."

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Remarkable Woodpeckers: Incredible Images and Characteristics

Stan Tekiela

Adventure Publications

2011

"Experience woodpeckers as you've never seen them before. Stan Tekiela shines a spotlight on these extraordinary winged creatures, depicting their lives through his award-winning photographic talents and with compelling text based on years of personal observations. If you love birds, you must have this book."

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Ghost Birds: Jim Tanner and the Quest for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, 1935-1941

Stephen Lyn Bales

Foreword: Nancy Tanner

University Of Tennessee Press

2010

"In 1935 naturalist James T. Tanner was a twenty-one-year-old graduate student when he saw his first ivory-billed woodpecker, one of America's rarest birds, in a remote swamp in northern Louisiana. At the time, he was part of an ambitious expedition traveling across the country to record and photograph as many avian species as possible, a trip organized by Dr. Arthur Allen, founder of the famed Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Two years later, Tanner hit the road again, this time by himself and in search of only one species - that ever-elusive ivory-bill. Sponsored by Cornell and the Audubon Society, Jim Tanner's work would result in some of the most extensive field research ever conducted on the magnificent woodpecker. Drawing on Tanner's personal journals and written with the cooperation of his widow, Nancy, Ghost Birds recounts, in fascinating detail, the scientist's dogged quest for the ivory-bill as he chased down leads in eight southern states. With Stephen Lyn Bales as our guide, we experience the same awe and excitement that Tanner felt when he returned to the Louisiana wetland he had visited earlier and was able to observe and document several of the "ghost birds" - including a nestling that he handled, banded, and photographed at close range. Investigating the ivory-bill was particularly urgent because it was a fast-vanishing species, the victim of indiscriminant specimen hunting and widespread logging that was destroying its habitat."

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The Natural History of Birds, Volume 7

Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon

Edited and Translated by: William Smellie

Cambridge University Press

2010

This volume covers woodpeckers and kingfishers. The volumes about birds were first published between 1770 and 1783 and translated into English in 1793. These volumes are part of a larger work, Histoire Naturelle, Générale et Particulière which was published in 36 volumes between 1749 and 1788.

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The Travails of Two Woodpeckers: Ivory-bills and Imperials

Noel F.R. Snyder, David E. Brown, Kevin B. Clark

University of New Mexico Press

2009

"Nearly two feet long with striking black, white, and red plumage, the Ivory-billed and Imperial Woodpeckers were two of the most impressive woodpeckers in the world. Both species were known to be in serious decline by the end of the nineteenth century and are likely extinct today, though occasional reports of sightings persist. While the Ivory-billed was one of the first endangered birds to receive intensive conservation attention, the efforts were too often misdirected, and too little, too late. Concern for the fate of the Imperial Woodpecker came even later and resulted in a similar fate. The probable extinction of two of North America's largest and most charismatic birds has much to teach us regarding conservation efforts, especially as many other species face similar problems. In closely examining the history of the decline and causes of extinction of the Ivory-billed and Imperial Woodpeckers, the authors offer explanations for the birds' demise and strategies for future conservation and research efforts that focus mainly on the deadly, though largely understated, role of human depredations."

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Stalking the Ghost Bird: The Elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Louisiana

Michael K. Steinberg

Louisiana State University Press

2008

"In Stalking the Ghost Bird, Michael K. Steinberg engages the lengthy debate over the ivory-bill's status by examining the reported sightings and extensive efforts to find the rare bird in Louisiana. Louisiana has long been at the center of the ivory-bill's story. John James Audubon wrote about the bird and its habitat during his stay in St. Francisville, and scientists James Tanner and George Lowery studied the ivory-bill in Louisiana in the 1930s and 1940s. More recently, bird experts have conducted targeted searches in Louisiana. Steinberg discusses these and other scientific expeditions, and he catalogs reported ivory-bill sightings since the 1950s, using a detailed timeline that includes both dates and specific locations. Interviews with conservation officials, ornithologists, and native Louisianans illuminate the ongoing controversy and explore why the ivory-bill, more than any other bird, arouses so much attention. Steinberg meets elderly residents of the Atchafalaya Basin who saw the ivory-bill while hunting in the 1930s and even ate the bird-which they called the "forest turkey"-during hard times. He paddles into Two O'Clock Bayou with one wildlife professor and travels to a cypress-filled wildlife refuge with the director of Louisiana's Nature Conservancy. His interviews illustrate how expert opinions vary, as well as how much local non-experts know."

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The Owl and the Woodpecker: Encounters With North America's Most Iconic Birds

Paul Bannick

Foreword: Tony Angell

Sound recordings: Martyn Stewart

Mountaineers Books

2008

"The Owl and the Woodpecker showcases a sense of these birds' natural rhythms, as well as the integral spirit of our wild places. Based on hundreds of hours in the field photographing these fascinating and wily birds, Bannick evokes all 41 North American species of owls and woodpeckers, across 11 key habitats. And by revealing the impact of two of our most iconic birds, Bannick has created a wholly unique approach to birding and conservation."

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Missouri Woodpeckers

Amy Salveter

Missouri Department of Conservation

2008

A 6 page pamphlet that describes seven species of woodpeckers found in Missouri.

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Ivorybill Hunters: Search for Proof in a Flooded Wilderness

Geoffrey E. Hill

Oxford University Press (USA)

2007

"Here, noted ornithologist Geoffrey Hill tells the story of how he and two of his colleagues stumbled upon what may be a breeding population of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in the swamps of northern Florida. He relates their laborious attempts to document irrefutable evidence for the existence of this shy, elusive bird following the failure of a much larger research team to definitively prove the bird's existence. Hill tells of his travails both in and out of the vast swamp wilderness, pulling back the curtain to reveal the little-seen political maneuvering that is part of all modern science. He explains how he and his group decided who to exclude or include as their findings came in, and why they felt the need to keep their search a secret. Hill returns repeatedly to how expectations can guide observations, and how tempting it is to oversell evidence in the face of the struggle between an overwhelming desire to find the bird and the need to retain integrity and objectivity. Written like a good detective story, Ivorybill Hunters also delves into the science behind the rediscovery of a species, explaining how professional ornithologists follow up on a sight record of a rare bird, and how this differs from the public's perception of how scientists actually work. Hill notes the growing role of amateurs in documenting bird activity and discusses how the community of birders and nature lovers can see, enjoy, and help preserve these birds."

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An Alternative Hypothesis for the Cause of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker's Decline

Noel F.R. Snyder

Monographs Vol 2

Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology

2007

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Woodpeckers of North America

Frances Backhouse

Firefly Books

2005

"A comprehensive, profusely illustrated natural history of all 28 North American species of woodpeckers."

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The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Tim Gallagher

Houghton Mifflin

2005

"Tim Gallagher heads south, deep into the eerie swamps and bayous of the vast Mississippi Delta, searching for people who claim to have seen this rarest of birds and following up - sometimes more than 30 years after the fact - on their sightings. He meets a colorful array of characters: a cigar-chomping ex-boxer who took two controversial pictures of an alleged ivory-bill in 1971; a former corporate lawyer who abandoned her career to search for ivory-bills full time; two men who grew up in the ivory-bill's last known stronghold in a final remnant of primeval forest in Louisiana. With his buddy Bobby Harrison, a true son of the South from Alabama, Gallagher hits the swamps, wading through hip-deep, boot-sucking mud and canoeing through turgid, mud brown bayous where deadly cottonmouth water moccasins abound. In most cases, they are clearly decades too late. But when the two speak to an Arkansas backwoods kayaker who saw a mystery woodpecker the week before and has a description of the bird that is too good to be a fantasy, the hunt is on. Their Eureka moment comes a few days later as a huge woodpecker flies in front of their canoe, and they both cry out, "Ivory-bill!" This sighting - the first time since 1944 that two qualified observers positively identify an ivory-billed woodpecker in the United States - quickly leads to the largest search ever launched to find a rare bird, as researchers fan out across the bayou, hoping to document the existence of this most iconic of birds."

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Woodpeckers Of Europe: A Study of the European Picidae

Gerard Gorman

Illustrations: Szabolcs Kokay

Bruce Coleman Books

2004

"This is a personal and well researched account of the European Picidae through the author's lifetime study of these fascinating birds. The book covers all aspects of the natural history of the ten species, including evolution, taxonomy, topography, flight patterns and drumming. There are full detailed accounts of each species. Other chapters deal with their country status, forestry, their relationship with man and other fauna, and field observation. It is illustrated with ten colour plates and with over 70 original drawings by the prize-winning artist Szabolcs Kokay."

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In Search of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Jerome A. Jackson

Smithsonian Books

2004

"A spellbinding history of the one bird every serious birder hopes to find, even as the world doubts its existence In Search of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is both a complete natural history of one of the most exciting and rare - perhaps even extinct - birds in the world, and a fascinating personal quest by the world's leading expert on the species. Jerome A. Jackson provides detailed insights into the bird's lifestyle, habitat, and cultural significance, examining its iconic status from the late 1800s to the present in advertising, conservation, and lore. As he relates searches for the bird by John James Audubon, Alexander Wilson, and others, Jackson offers anecdotal tales illuminating the methods of early naturalists, including how Wilson's captive ivory-bill destroys his hotel room in a desperate attempt to escape. Jackson's search for perhaps the last remaining ivory-bill takes him across the United States and into Cuba. He spends hours flying over potential ivory-bill habitat, canoeing through isolated waterways, and trudging through swamps, always playing recorded ivory-bill calls into the wilderness, hoping for a response."

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The Race to Save the Lord God Bird

Phillip Hoose

Melanie Kroupa Books

2004

"If all Phil Hoose did in The Race to Save the Lord God Bird was tell the story of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, that would be enough, because he spins a mesmerizing tale - full of vivid characters and wilderness landscapes so real you can almost feel the humidity and hear the bellowing alligators. But his underlying message takes readers beyond the battle to save one glorious bird, and shows why some people dedicate their lives and hearts to fighting extinction - a hopeful message that is more important now than ever."

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The Ivory-billed Woodpecker

James T. Tanner

Dover_Publications

2003

Reprint of 1966 publication

"All who seek the elusive Ivory-billed Woodpecker rely on this elegant treatise from 1942, an extensive profile of the species' characteristics and habits that includes its original distribution patterns; the history of its disappearance; and its feeding, nesting, and breeding habits."

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Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 7: Jacamars to Woodpeckers

Edited by Josep Del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott and Jordi Sargatal

Illustrations: Hilary Burn, Clive Byers, John Cox, Albert Earl Gilbert, Mark Hulme, Angels Jutgler, Ian Lewington, Dave Nurney, Chris Rose, Ian Willis, Tim Worfolk

Lynx Edicions

2002

613 pages, 69 colour plates, over 300 colour photos, 402 distribution maps.

Families covered in this volume include jacamars, puffbirds, barbets, toucans, honeyguides, and woodpeckers.

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The Cult of the Green Bird: The Mythology of the Green Woodpecker

Anthony Clare-Lees

Scotforth Books

2002

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The Red-cockaded Woodpecker: Surviving in a Fire-Maintained Ecosystem

Richard Conner, D. Craig Rudolph, and Jeffrey R. Walters

Corrie Herring Hooks Series

University of Texas Press

2001

"In this book, three of the leading experts on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker offer a comprehensive overview of all that is currently known about its biology and natural history and about the ecology of the fire-maintained forests it requires for survival. As the most visible endangered species in the Southeast, and the one whose conservation impacts the largest land area, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker holds a compelling interest not only for ornithologists, but also for wildlife managers, foresters, developers, environmentalists, and government officials. For all of these groups, this book will be the essential resource for learning more about the Red-cockaded Woodpecker and ensuring its survival."

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The Guadeloupe Woodpecker

Pascal Villard

Societé d'Etudes Ornithologiques de France

1999

A monograph, in English, that focuses on the biology and ecology of the Guadaloupe Woodpecker.

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Downy Woodpecker

Gary Ritchinson

Stackpole Books

1998

"The Downy Woodpecker, a bird characterised by its distinctive markings as well as its perseverance, strength, and energy, is one of North America's most recognised species to both eye and ear. This fifth book in the Wild Bird Guides series offers an illustrated examination of the Downy's communication, behaviour, nesting, feeding, and brooding habits."

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Woodpeckers: An Identification Guide to the Woodpeckers of the World

Hans Winkler

Illustrations: Dave Nurney

Translation: David Christie

Houghtin Miflin

1996

"Covering all of the 198 species of woodpeckers in the world, a comprehensive volume, illustrated in color, offers information on identifying characteristics, similar species, distribution, migration, habitat, geographical variations, voice, habits, food, and breeding behavior."

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Woodpeckers: A Guide to the Woodpeckers, Piculets and Wrynecks of the World

Hans Winkler

Illustrations: Dave Nurney

Translation: David Christie

Pica

1995

"This guide cover 198 species of woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks. Includes 64 colour plates and distribution maps. The text provides information on identifying characteristics, distribution, migration, habitat, geographical variations, voice, habits, food, and breeding behaviour."

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Bird Life of Woodland and Forest

Robert J. Fuller

Bird Life Series

Cambridge University Press

1995

"Woodlands offer birds an extremely wide range of habitats. In this book, the variation in bird life in woodlands, and the factors that influence bird numbers and distributions are examined. What birds are found in which habitats? What effect does forestry and woodland management have? How can we enhance bird populations by habitat management? Are bird numbers and distributions in natural and managed forests different - and if so, why? The gamut of British woodland is covered, from ancient coppice and wood-pasture in the lowlands, to recently-planted conifer forests in the uplands, and comparisons are drawn with mainland Europe and North America. The book discusses the effects of factors such as increased deer numbers, air-pollution and new wood creation on lowland farms, all of which are changing the face of our woodlands today. This book is a must for all those interested in woodlands, and the birds which live in them."

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Stillness in the Pines: Ecology of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

R. McFarlane

W.W. Norton

1993

"From eastern Texas the remnants of a once-magnificent forest, nurtured by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, extend a thousand miles to the Atlantic shore and as far north as Chesapeake Bay. This unique woodland gave birth to two woodpeckers, one large the ivory-billed woodpecker, which has not been sighted in over ten years and which is almost surely extinct and the other small the red-cockaded woodpecker, which may yet be saved.What distinguishes this bird from others is its unique niche. Its adaptations make it totally dependent on pine trees in an open forest. This ecosystem that of the loblolly pine tree forest is the bird's onlly habitat. But these southeastern pine trees are valuable natural resources. Having withstood the ravages of nature for thousands of years, it is now entirely possible that the woodpecker will be lost because of a combination of "benign neglect" and commercial interests."

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Woodpeckers of Eastern North America

Lawrence Kilham

Dover Publications

1992

Originally published in 1984 as Life History Studies Of Woodpeckers Of Eastern North America.

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European Woodpeckers

Dieter Blume

Harrell Books

1991

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Conservation and Management of Woodpecker Populations

Editor: A. Carlson and G. Aulen

Dept. of Wildlife Ecology, Report 17

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala

1990

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Population Ecology of the Cooperatively Breeding Acorn Woodpecker

Walter D. Koenig and Ronald L. Mumme

Monographs In Population Biology, Vol. 24

Princeton University Press

1987

"This study investigates the complexities of acorn storage and group living in acorn woodpeckers at Hastings Reservation in central coastal California."

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Life Of The Woodpeckers

Alexander F. Skutch

Illustrations: Dana Gardner

Ibis Publishing Company / Cornell University Press

1985 / 1988

A detailed account of the lives of woodpeckers with 60 plates by Dana Gardner.

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Life History Studies Of Woodpeckers Of Eastern North America

Lawrence Kilham

NOC Publication 20

Nuttall Ornithological Club

1984

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Woodpeckers Of The World

Lester L. Short

Weidner & Sons for Delaware Museum of Natural History

1983

Exquisite colour plates of every known species with text that provides information on identification, biology and ecology.

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Red-cockaded Woodpecker Symposium II Proceedings

Editor: Don A. Wood

State of Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission

1983

Collects together 16 papers on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker.

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An Annotated Bibliography Of The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Picoides borealis

Jerome A. Jackson

A Publication of the Savanah River Plant, National Environmental Research Park Proram, United States Department of Energy

1981

A 290 page bibliography.

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A Comparative Analysis of Acoustical Signals in Pied Woodpeckers (Aves Picoides)

Hans Winkler and Lester L Short

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Volume 160

American Museum of Natural History

1978

A 109 page report.

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Social Organization And Behavior Of The Acorn Woodpecker In Central Coastal California

J.A. Douglas Flack

Ornithological Monographs 21

American Ornithologists' Union

1976

A 115 page study.

Contents:

  • Introduction
  • Description: Coloration, Molt, And Anatomy
  • Research Areas
  • Distribution Of Groups At Hastings
  • Group Composition
  • Foods And Feeding Behavior
  • Spacing And Space Related Behavior
  • Roosts And Nests
  • Reproduction
  • Population Dynamics
  • Ecology And Evolution Of Woodpecker Social Systems
  • Summary
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Woodpeckers in Woodlands of Great Britain

Forestry Commission

Stationery Office Books

1974

A 16 page booklet.

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Habits of Three Endemic West Indian Woodpeckers

Lester L Short

American Museum Novitates No. 2549

American Museum of Natural History

1974

A 44 page report.

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Habits and Interactions of North American Three-toed Woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus and Picoides tridactylus)

Lester L Short

American Museum Novitates No. 2547

American Museum of Natural History

1974

A 42 page report based on field work in 1973.

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Systematics And Behavior Of South American Flickers (Aves, Colaptes)

Lester L SHort

Volume 149 Article 1

Bulletin Of The American Museum Of Natural History

1972

A 110 page study.

Opening lines of the abstract: "The Genus Colaptes is comprised of eight species, formerly arranged in the genera Colaptes, Nesoceleus, and Chrysoptilus. More or less distinct forms hybridize in secondary contacts within four of the eight species. The six South American species constitute two subgroups; the forest, or green, flickers, which are more arboreal and more closely resemble the ancestor of Colaptes, and the ground flickers, which are to a high degree terrestrially adapted, live in open country, and represent the most specialized species of the genus."

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Ecology And Management Of The Red-cockaded Woodpecker Woodpeckers

Proceedings of a symposium at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Folkston, Georgia, May 26-27, 1971

Editor: Richard L. Thompson

US Department Of The Interior

1971

A collection of 17 papers from the symposium.

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Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, Vol. 4

Frogmouths to Pittas

Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley

Oxford University Press (India)

1970

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The Ivory-billed Woodpecker

James T. Tanner

Dover Publications

1966

Reprinted in 2003

Unabridged publication of thesis written in 1942.

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Species Limits In The Woodpecker Genus Centurus

Robert K. Selander and Donald R. Giller

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History Vol 124

1963

From the introduction: "The principal objective of the present study was to ascertain the systematic relationships among populations of woodpeckers of the genus Centurus occurring in the United States, Mexico, and northern Central America. Because the distributional pattern of species of this complex is strongly allopatric and the morphologic criterion of relationship is notably unreliable, considerable controversy as to species limits has developed among taxonomists working with museum specimens alone. But recent field investigations in zones of contact between allopatric or narrowly sympatric forms, together with analyses of morphologic variation in specimens, have yielded important information that contributes to our understanding of systematic relationships within the genus."

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My Year With The Woodpeckers

Heinz Sielmann

Barrie & Rockliff

1959

A study of woodpeckers which describes their behaviour, habits and lifestyle. Includes many photographs.

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Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers

Arthur Cleveland Bent

United States National Museum Bulletin 174

1939

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Woodpeckers, Nuthatches And Creepers Of New Jersey

Leon Augustus Hausman

New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

1928

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Woodpeckers In Relation To Trees And Wood Products

W.L. McAtee

Color plates: Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Photographs and b/w illustrations

Biological Survey Bulletin 39

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1911

From the introduction:

"Woodpeckers are peculiarly dependent upon trees, which furnish them food, shelter, and cradles for their young. No birds are more highly specialized nor more perfectly adapted to a particular mode of life than are most woodpeckers to arboreal existence. Moreover, as trees are important to woodpeckers, so are these birds important to trees. Woodpeckers benefit trees by consuming many of the most destructive forest pests, insects largely inaccessible to other birds. In securing these insects, however, which constitute the bulk of their food, and in making nests and shelter cavities, woodpeckers have another significant economic relation to trees, for they remove bark and wood from both dead and living trees. In the case of dead trees little or no harm is done. When, however, they make excavations in living trees, the birds destroy more or less of the cambium layer, from winch proceeds the growth of both wood and bark. Slight injuries to the cambium result in distorted growth, but the destruction of large areas may cause death. Since trees are exceedingly valuable to man, the habits of birds whose relations to trees are so vital are of much economic importance. It is the purpose of tins bulletin to examine the evidence for and against woodpeckers and to determine their status according to the effect of their habits upon trees and wood products. Injuries by woodpeckers are treated under two heads: (1) Damage by woodpeckers in general; (2) injuries due almost exclusively to the three species properly known as sapsuckers."
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Food Of The Woodpeckers Of The United States

F.E.L. Beal

5 color and 1 b/w plates: Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Biological Survey Bulletin 37

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1911

From the introduction:

"Woodpeckers are essentially arboreal in their habits and obtain the greater part of their food from trees. Their physical con- formation eminently adapts them to this mode of life. Their legs are rather short and stout, and the toes are furnished with strong, sharp claws. With the exception of the genus Picoides, all North American woodpeckers have four toes, two of which point forward and two backward. To further aid in maintaining themselves on the trunks of trees, their tails are com- posed of stiff feathers terminating in sharp spines, which can be pressed against the bark and so serve as a prop to hold the bird in an upright position while it is at work. Woodpeckers are thus enabled to cling easily to the trunks and branches and to strike effective blows with their beaks upon the bark or wood As much of the food of woodpeckers is obtained from solid wood, Nature has provided most of them with a stout beak having a chisel shaped point, which forms an exceedingly effective wood-cutting instrument. But the most peculiar and interesting point in the anatomy of these birds is the tongue. This is more or less cylindrical in form and usually very long (fig. 1, a). At the anterior end it generally terminates in a hard point, with more or less barbs upon the sides (fig. 1b). Posteriorly the typical woodpecker tongue is extended in two long, slender filaments of the hyoid bone which curl up around the back of the skull and, while they commonly stop between the eyes, in some species they pass around the eye (fig. 2, b), but in others enter the right nasal opening and extend to the end of the beak (fig. 2, a). In this last case the tongue is practically twice the length of the head. Posteriorly this organ is inclosed in a muscular sheath by means of which it can be extruded from the mouth to a considerable length, and used as a most effective instrument for dislodging grubs or ants from their burrows in wood or bark. Hence, while most birds have to be content with such insects as they find on the surface or in open crevices, the woodpeckers devote their energies to those larvae or grubs which are beneath the bark or even in the heart of the tree. They locate their hidden prey with great accuracy and often cut small holes directly to the burrows of the grub."
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Food Of Some Well-Known Birds Of Forest, Farm, And Garden

F.E.L. Beal and W.L. McAtee

B/W plates and drawings: Louis Agassiz Fuertes and others

Farmers' Bulletin 506

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1911

From the introduction:

Besides the more common birds of the farm and garden treated in Farmers' Bulletin No. 54 there are others less familiarly known, or known only over a smaller area of country. Many of these are of great economic importance in the region they inhabit and are well worth investigation and study. In the following pages the food of twenty species is discussed in its relation to economic interests. The twenty species consist of 8 woodpeckers, 2 hummingbirds, 3 fly-catchers, 1 horned lark, 3 sparrows, 1 butcher bird, 1 warbler, and 1 kinglet. Nearly 5,000 stomachs of these birds have been examined, and the general and most important results are embodied in these pages. Two species, the chipping sparrow and southern butcher bird, are found over the whole country in the breeding season, but migrate to more southern lands on the approach of winter. The snowbird, white-crowned sparrow, and ruby-crowned kinglet, on the contrary, make the United States their winter home, but retire farther north or to high mountain regions in the breeding season. The horned larks in some of their numerous geographical races occur at some time of the year in nearly all parts of the country, though their distribution in winter is very irregular and uncertain. With the exception of the sapsuckers, all of these species are more beneficial than injurious. As the sapsuckers do much damage, they should be clearly distinguished from the other woodpeckers, which are chiefly beneficial.
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The Woodpeckers

Fannie Hardy Eckstrom

Colour illustrations: Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Line drawings: John L. Ridgway

Houghton Mifflin & Co

1901

From the foreword:

"This is purposely a little book, dealing only with a single group of birds, treating particularly only some of the commoner species of that group, taking up only a few of the problems that present themselves to the naturalist for solution, and aiming rather to make the reader acquainted with the birds than learned about them. The woodpeckers were selected in preference to any other family because they are patient under observation, easily identified, resident in all parts of the country both in summer and in winter, and because more than any other birds they leave behind them records of their work which may be studied after the birds have flown. The book provides ample means for identifying every species and subspecies of woodpecker known in North America, though only five of the commonest and most interesting species have been selected for special study. At least three of these five should be found in almost every part of the country. The Californian woodpecker is never seen in the East, nor the red-headed in the far West, but the downy and the hairy are resident nearly everywhere, and some species of the flickers and sapsuckers, if not always the ones chosen for special notice, are visitors in most localities."
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A Monograph of the Flicker (Colpates auratus)

Frank L. Burns

The Wilson Bulletin No 31

Wilson Ornithological Chapter

1900

A 82 page monograph.

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Woodpeckers

Sir Herbert Marshall

Editor: H. E. Dresser

Educational Series No. 2

Society for the Protection of Birds

1890's

A 4 page guide that covers Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker. Provides a brief description and information on distribution, numbers, food, characteristics, protection, plus a page of general remarks.

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The Common Crow Of The United States

F.E.L. Beal

The Tongues Of Woodpeckers: F.A. Lucas

Illustrations: J.L. Ridgway

Division Of Ornithology And Mammology Bulletin No. 7

US Department of Agriculture

Government Printing Office

1895

From the general remarks:

With the possible exception of the crow, no birds are subject to more adverse criticism than woodpeckers. Usually no attempt is made to discriminate between the numerous species, and little account is taken of the good they do in destroying injurious insects. The name Sapsucker has been applied to two or three of the smaller kinds, in the belief that they subsist to a great extent upon the juices of trees, obtained from the small holes they make in the bark. There can be little doubt that one species, the Yellow-bellied Woodpecker (Sphyraincus varius), does live to a considerable extent upon this sap. Observation does not show that other species have the same habit, but it is a difficult point to decide by dissection, as fluid contents disappear quickly from the stomach. Many observers have testified to the good work these birds do in destroying insects, while others have spoken of harm done to fruit or grain. Both are correct within certain limits.
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XVIII. On two new Species from the Pilcomayo

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 33, Issue 4, pages 604-607

1891

Opening lines:

"MR.Sclater has been good enough to place in my hands some Woodpeckers collected by Mr. Graham Kerr, who accompanied the Pilcomayo Expedition, and whose researches in the highly interesting region explored, when fully made known to the world, will not only prove to be of great scientific value, but add much to his already well-earned reputation as an energetic and devoted naturalist."
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Catalogue Of The Picariae In The Collection Of The British Museum

Scansores containing the family Picidae

Catalogue Of The Birds In The British Museum, Volume XVIII

Edward Hargitt

15 colour plates: Peter Smit

Printed By Order Of The Trustees

Sold by: Longman & Co.; B. Quaritch; Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.; and at the British Museum (Natural History)

1890

From the preface:

"This volume is published in advance of the sixteenth and seventeenth, the manuscripts of which, however, are in course of preparation. Its early appearance is due to the fortunate circumstance that it was undertaken by Mr. Hargitt, who for many years has made the family of Woodpeckers the subject of his special study: I have great pleasure in acknowledging the unremitting and conscientious care which he has bestowed on the details of every portion of the work throughout its progress. Beside those benefactors who have so largely contributed to the general collection of Birds in the Museum, and whose names occur on almost every page of this work, I have to refer to the donations by L. Wray, Jr., Esq., H. C. V. Hunter, Esq., and F. J. Jackson, Esq., which were specially useful in the preparation of the present volume."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XVII. On an apparently unnamed Species of Picumnus from Guiana

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 31, Issue 3, pages 354-355

1889

Opening lines:

"There has been great diversity of opinion as to the Picumnus described by Linneus as Pipra minuta, Dr. Cabanis taking it to be the Guianan species (for which I am about to propose a new name), while Sundevall considers Linneus's bird to have belonged to the Brazilian species, which has the colour much more yellow and the back spotted with black."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XVI. On some new Species Picidae

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 31, Issue 2, pages 229-232

1889

Opening lines:

"The object of this short paper is simply to record some Picidae which I consider entitled to rank as new species. Many of them have been known to me for some time, and I now deem it advisable not to delay the publication of brief diagnoses of their specific characters."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XV. On three new American Species

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 31, Issue 1, pages 58-60

1889

Opening lines:

"The following species have been known to me for some time, but I have delayed describing them until I had become better acquainted with the genera to which they belong. After a careful examination of the Picidce in the British Museum, and also in the Salvin-Godman and the Sclater collections, I am more than ever convinced of their being quite distinct from any known species, and I no longer hesitate to describe them as new to science."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XIV. On the Genus Gecinus

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 30, Issue 1, pages 1-42

1888

Opening lines:

"Since Malherbe's monograph appeared new species have been added to the present genus, and through the earnest labours of many ornithologists a more thorough knowledge of the species comprised in it has been arrived at, while certain Gecini supposed to be distinct have been allotted to their true position."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XIII. On Gecinus gorii, and on the male of Poliopicus ellioti

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 29, Issue 1, pages 74-76

1887

Opening lines:

"The object of this short paper is to draw the attention of naturalists to some interesting Woodpeckers which have recently come under my notice, the first being a species of Gecinus from Southern Afghanistan, the other bird being the male of the rare Poliopicus ellioti from the Congo."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XII. On the Genus Chrysophlegma

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 28, Issue 3, pages 260-281

1886

Opening lines:

"In the present genus I have only included six species, one of which, C. mystacale of Salvadori, has been described since Malherbe published his monograph. The remaining yellow naped species, which modern authors place either in this genus or in Callolophus, are to my mind true Gecini, and I have therefore transferred them to the genus Gecinus."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. XI. On a new Species from Arizona

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 28, Issue 2, pages 112-115

1886

Opening lines:

"In pursuing my study of the Picidae, I happened to meet with a specimen of an adult male from the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona Territory, which was named Picus stricklandi, and upon comparing it with an example of an adult male af true P. stricklandi from Jalapa, Vera Cruz (De Oca), in the collection of Mr. Sclater, I was surprised to find the two birds perfectly distinct, the Arizona species having the back uniform, and the bird from Jalapa having the back barred with white."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. X. On the Genus Thriponax

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 27, Issue 2, pages 140-157

1885

Opening lines:

"In pursuance of my studies of the genera of Woodpeckers, I have recently worked out the species of the genus Thriponaae, which embraces eight birds of large size, bearing some resemblance to the Great Black Woodpecker of Europe, Dryocopus martius. In these short essays which I send from time to time to 'The Ibis,' I have tried to remodel the arrangement of the species of Woodpeckers rather than to attempt a discussion of the characters of the various genera; and it may be that when I come to consider the latter portion of the subject in its entirety, I may have to make some alterations in the generic nomenclature employed."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. IX. On the Genus Micropternus

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 27, Issue 1, pages 1-16

1885

Opening lines:

"After Mr. Hume's admirable paper on the genus Micropternus ( Stray Feathers, 1877, p. 472), it would perhaps appear unnecessary on my part to take up the same subject, and my notes must not be viewed as a critique, but as a supplement to .Mr. Hume's work."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. VIII. On the Genus Hemicercus

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 26, Issue 3, pages 244-259

1884

Opening lines:

"Perhaps in no genus of Woodpeckers has there been so much confusion as in Hemicercus, owing partly to the various stages of plumage through which H. sordidus and H. concretus pass, and also to the careless determination of the sexes, to which the specimens of H. canente and H. cordatus have been subject."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. VII. Additional Notes on the Woodpeckers of the Ethiopian Region

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 26, Issue 2, pages 199-202

1884

Opening lines:

"Through the kindness of Count Salvadori I have recently had an opportunity of examining some interesting Woodpeckers collected by the late Marquis Antinori in Schoa. Amongst them was an example of Mesopicus spodocephalus, a species which, at the time I wrote my paper on the African Woodpeckers, I had not had an opportunity of examining. It turns out to be a very distinct species, which I am glad to have the chance of describing, as it enables me to correct at the same time a very serious error which has crept into my key (Ibis, 1883, p. 406), for the detection of which I am also indebted to Count Salvndori."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. VI. On the Genus Miglyptes

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 26, Issue 2, pages 189-199

1884

Opening lines:

"Although only four species of this genus are known, confined to the Indo-Malayan subregion amid the Burmese countries, there has been great confusion in their synonymy, and I have endeavoured in the present paper to show the characters of all these four species and to disentangle their somewhat complicated literature. The material upon which this paper is based is contained in the collections of the British and Leyden Museums, as well as in my own collection and that of Captain Wardlaw Ramsay."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. V. On A New Japanese Woodpecker

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 26, Issue 1, pages 100-101

1884

Opening lines:

"When I wrote my paper on the genus Iyngipicus (Ibis, 1882, p. 19) I was acquainted with only one species of the genus from Japan. My friend Mr. Seebohm has, however, recently shown me some specimens from the island of Kiusiu, or Kimo, which differ materially from the bird described in the above-mentioned paper as I. kizuki. Up to the date of my paper I had only examined birds from the northern island of Japan, and I was therefore somewhat surprised to find that the species from Kiusiu is really the true I. kizuki (Temm.), and that the more northern bird is apparently without a name. Naturalists are so much indebted to Mr. Seebohm for the excellent labour he has bestowed upon the ornithology of Japan, that I trust my appellation for this unnamed bird will meet with their approval when I describe it as Iyngipicus seebohmi."
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On A New Species Of Wryneck, Discovered In Eastern Equatorial Africa By Dr. Emin Bey

Dr. G. Hartlaub

Colour plate (Iynx pulchricollis): J.G. Keulemans

Ibis: Volume 26, Issue 1, pages 28-30

1884

From the opening lines:

"I have the pleasure of introducing to my brother ornithologists a new species of the restricted genus Iynx, lately discovered by my excellent correspondent Dr. Emin Bey, which I propose to call Iynx pulchricollis."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. IV. On the Woodpeckers of the Ethiopian Region

Edward Hargitt

Colour plate (Dendropicus Gabonensis / Dendropicus lugubris): J.G. Keulemans

Ibis: Volume 25, Issue 4, pages 401-487

1883

Opening lines:

"It may, perhaps, occur to ornithologists that, after Malherbe's extensive monograph, there would be little to write on the subject of the Woodpeckers of Africa; but the criticisms in Professor Sundevall's 'Conspectus' alone would show that the work of the above-named author was not altogether satisfactory; while the vast increase in our knowledge of African ornithology since Malherbe's time seems to me to warrant the necessity of a fresh revision of the family, as far as the Ethiopian Region is concerned."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. III. Descriptions of two new Species of Woodpeckers

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 25, Issue 2, pages 172-173

1883

Opening lines:

"Of the two new species which I propose describing in this paper, the first will, I think, possess great interest for all students of European ornithology, as the bird is a new form of our Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Picus minor. Upon an examination of the series of this bird belonging to Mr. Henry Seebohm (to whom I am indebted for the loan of all the specimens of Picidae in his magnificent Palearctic collection) I observed a character in the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers collected by Mr. Danford in Asia Minor which I consider merits for them a separate title; and in this Mr. Seebohm agrees with me."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. II. The Genus Iyngipicus

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 24, Issue 1, pages 19-51

1882

Opening lines:

"It is more with the view of eliciting than of supplying information that I bring the present paper before ornithologists. Although the series of specimens at my disposal has been considerable, as will be seen by the list given below, it has by no means sufficed for thoroughly settling the many difficult points which every one admits to be connected with the study of this genus. I have here, however, to thank Dr. Gunther for the facilities I have enjoyed in working at the British Museum, and also to record my acknowledgments to Captain Wardlaw-Ramsay, who lent me his entire collection of Iyngipicus, with some undescribed species therein, and, lastly, to Mr. Henry Seebohm and Mr. Eugene Oates, who generously gave me all the specimens in my own collection, from which most of the descriptions are taken."
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On A Supposed New Species Of Woodpecker From Eastern Siberia

Edward Hargitt

Ibis: Volume 23, Issue 3, pages 398-399

1881

Opening lines:

"My friend Mr. Seebohm, knowing the interest I take in the family of Woodpeckers, has kindly lent me a male specimen of an Iyngipicus obtained by Mr. Dorries in the island of Askold, Eastern Siberia. Mr. Seebohm himself recognized the difference between this bird and I, scintilliceps, to which it has been united, and was good enough to express a wish that I should describe it."
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On the proper Generic Designation of the European Woodpeckers

Henry T. Wharton

Ibis: Volume 23, Issue 2, pages 253-258

1881

Opening lines:

"At the present day the original Linnaean genus Picus consists of at least two hundred and eighty species; and for these very nearly one hundred and fifty distinct generic names have been proposed. Waiving the question of how far the genus requires generic subdivision at all, it is obvious from this fact alone that in a redistribution of the group a considerable sifting of the results of what Dr. Hartlaub has so happily called the 'furor genericus' is of peremptory necessity."
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Notes on Woodpeckers. No. I. On the Piculets of the Old World

Edward Hargitt

Colour plate (Analcipus cruentus and Analcipus consancuineus): J.G. Keulemans

Ibis: Volume 23, Issue 2, pages 222-239

1881

Opening lines:

"The present paper is the first of a series of small articles which I trust to he able to contribute to the pages of 'The Ibis' on the family of Picidae, in which I have been for years interested, and of which I have managed to get together a considerable collection. Not long ago, in examining some of the birds at the British Museum, I discovered among the specimens of Vivia an example from China which was evidently referable to a new and hitherto undescribed species; and in giving a description of this interesting bird, I have added some notes on the other Piculets of the Old World, with a view to determine the present state of our knowledge of this little group."
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A Review Of The Genus Centurus, Swainson

Robert Ridgway

Volume 4, pages 93-119

Proceedings of the United States National Museum

1881

Opening lines:

"The collection of the United States National Museum contains examples of all the known species of the genus Centurus, excepting C. hypopolius (Wagl.), C. ruhriventris Swains., and C. terricolor Berlepsch, the two latter being of somewhat doubtful status. More or less confusion has hitherto existed regarding the nomenclature of several of the Middle American forms, and it was the desire to clear away as much of this confusion as possible that prompted the investigations upon which this review is based, and which have led to the discovery of relationships which were before quite unsuspected, at least by the writer."
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