Campephilus
Encyclopedia
Campephilus is a genus
of large American
woodpecker
s in the family
Picidae
.
This genus was created by George Robert Gray
, who suggested taking Campephilus principalis as the type for the genus. The name Campephilus means "lover of grubs" - an allusion to the diet of these birds, many of which feed on the larvae of wood-boring beetle
s. Contrary to long-held opinion, their closest relatives are not the large black Dryocopus
woodpeckers: instead, they are related to the Chrysocolaptes
flamebacks from Southeast Asia
(Benz et al., 2006).
The English
names ivory-billed woodpecker or ivorybill are sometimes used to refer to members of this genus, though more these are used specifically for Campephilus principalis.
A fossil
ivorybill species, Campephilus dalquesti, was described from bones found in Late Pleistocene
deposits of Scurry County.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of large American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s in the family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
Picidae
Picidae
The woodpeckers, piculets and wrynecks are a family, Picidae, of near-passerine birds. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia and New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions...
.
This genus was created by George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray
George Robert Gray FRS was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years...
, who suggested taking Campephilus principalis as the type for the genus. The name Campephilus means "lover of grubs" - an allusion to the diet of these birds, many of which feed on the larvae of wood-boring beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s. Contrary to long-held opinion, their closest relatives are not the large black Dryocopus
Dryocopus
Dryocopus is a genus of large powerful woodpeckers, typically 35–45 cm in length. It has representatives in North and South America, Europe, and Asia; some South American species are endangered...
woodpeckers: instead, they are related to the Chrysocolaptes
Chrysocolaptes
Chrysocolaptes is a genus of birds in the Picidae family.It contains the following species:* White-naped Woodpecker, Chrysocolaptes festivus* Greater Flameback, Chrysocolaptes lucidus...
flamebacks from Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
(Benz et al., 2006).
The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
names ivory-billed woodpecker or ivorybill are sometimes used to refer to members of this genus, though more these are used specifically for Campephilus principalis.
Species
- Powerful WoodpeckerPowerful WoodpeckerThe Powerful Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. This little-known species is a large woodpecker, 33–38 cm long, and is a close relative to the North American Ivory-billed Woodpecker.Its natural habitat is subtropical...
, Campephilus pollens - Crimson-bellied WoodpeckerCrimson-bellied WoodpeckerThe Crimson-bellied Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru....
, Campephilus haematogaster - Red-necked WoodpeckerRed-necked WoodpeckerThe Red-necked Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela....
, Campephilus rubricollis - Robust WoodpeckerRobust WoodpeckerThe Robust Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on...
, Campephilus robustus - Crimson-crested WoodpeckerCrimson-crested WoodpeckerThe Crimson-crested Woodpecker is a very large woodpecker which is a resident breeding bird from Panama south to northern border regions of Argentina, and on Trinidad....
, Campephilus melanoleucos - Guayaquil WoodpeckerGuayaquil WoodpeckerThe Guayaquil Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru....
, Campephilus gayaquilensis - Pale-billed WoodpeckerPale-billed WoodpeckerThe Pale-billed Woodpecker is a very large woodpecker that is a resident breeding bird from northern Mexico to western Panama.-Habitat:...
, Campephilus guatemalensis - Cream-backed WoodpeckerCream-backed WoodpeckerThe Cream-backed Woodpecker is a species of bird in the Picidae family.It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
, Campephilus leucopogon - Magellanic WoodpeckerMagellanic WoodpeckerThe Magellanic Woodpecker is a very large woodpecker resident to Chile along the Andes, and to some parts of southwestern Argentina. This species is the southern-most example of the genus Campephilus, which includes the famous Ivory-billed Woodpecker.The Magellanic Woodpecker is 45 cm in length...
, Campephilus magellanicus - Ivory-billed WoodpeckerIvory-billed WoodpeckerThe Ivory-billed Woodpecker is or was one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, at roughly 20 inches in length and 30 inches in wingspan. It was native to the virgin forests of the southeastern United States...
, Campephilus principalis - possibly extinct (late 20th century)- Cuban Ivory-billed WoodpeckerCuban Ivory-billed WoodpeckerThe Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker or Carpintero real is, or was, a Cuban subspecies of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker . Once classified as a separate species, recent research has indicated that C. p...
(Campephilus principalis bairdii) - extinct (late 20th century) (It's unknown if this is really a subspecies of the Ivory-billed or a different species).
- Cuban Ivory-billed Woodpecker
- Imperial WoodpeckerImperial WoodpeckerThe Imperial Woodpecker is – or was – a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. If it is not extinct, it is the world's largest woodpecker species at 56-60 cm long...
, Campephilus imperialis - possibly extinct (late 20th century)
A fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
ivorybill species, Campephilus dalquesti, was described from bones found in Late Pleistocene
Late Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene is a stage of the Pleistocene Epoch. The beginning of the stage is defined by the base of the Eemian interglacial phase before the final glacial episode of the Pleistocene 126,000 ± 5,000 years ago. The end of the stage is defined exactly at 10,000 Carbon-14 years BP...
deposits of Scurry County.