CLASSIFICATION OF DENDROCOPUS MAHRATTENIS : WOODPECKER
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- AVES ( Biped and feathered vertebrates ).
Sub-class :- NEORNITHES ( True birds. Metacarpels fused )
Super Order :- NEOGNATHAE ( Modern birds, no teeth, sternum keeled).
Order :- PICIFORMES ( Bill stout owl like ).
Genus : Dendrocopus
Species :- mahrattensis : woodpecker
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
commonly found in India. Pakistan, Philippines and Australia, China.
HABIT AND HABITAT
The woodpecker is a small bird inhabiting light scrub in countryside, thin forests, mango orchards, groves of trees and other leafy trees. They scuttle up tree trunks and branches, tapping on the bark and peer into the cracks for ants and grubs which are extracted by the help of long worm-like tongue. They produce sharp voice click, click or click-r-r-r. It excavates nest cavities by destroying the wood itself.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF DENDROCOPUS MAHRATTENIS : WOODPECKER
- Commonly called woodpecker and Kathforwa in Hindi.
- It has the size of a Bulbul. Body divisible into head, neck, back, breast, and abdomen.
- Head contains paired eyes and beak.
- Beak is long, stout and pointed owl-like with which they destroy wood. Beak adapted for chiseling or wood cutting.
- Eyes are large and tongue roughened with barbs near the tip and protrusible.
- Toes 2 in front and 2 behind, not reversible.
- Upper plumage contains black and white spots on wings and tail feather. Male has scarlet patches.
- Tail is stiff and wedge-shaped. Tail feathers with pointed tips.
- It makes nest by destroying the wood itself.
- They live in pairs.
Special features
It destroys the tunics of the woody trees.
Identification
This bird has pointed beak and above features, hence it is Dendrocopus mahrattensis or Woodpecker.
