Celeus ochraceus (Winkler & Christie, 2002)

Vasconcelos, Marcelo Ferreira de, 2018, First avifaunal survey of a Cerrado dry forest enclave on the right bank of the São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with insights on geographic variation of some species, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 58, pp. 1-18 : 5

Celeus ochraceus (Ochre-backed Woodpecker)

Until recently, three subspecies of Celeus flavescens (Blond-crested Woodpecker) were recognized:(1) C. f. flavescens, ranging from southeastern Brazil to eastern Paraguay and northeastern Argentina; (2) C. f. ochraceus, ranging from the lower Amazon region to Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, and eastern Bahia and Espírito Santo states; and (3) C. f. intercedens, which occurs in intervening areas between the first two subspecies, in western Bahia, Goiás and Minas Gerais states ( Short, 1972, 1982; Winkler et al., 1995; Winkler & Christie, 2002; Dickinson & Remsen, 2013).

Amongst the most important diagnostic characters of the three subspecies, in C. f. flavescens the mantle, the back, and the upperwing-coverts are black, narrowly barred white; whereas in C. f. ochraceus those parts are tinged of cinnamon-buff with black spots (occasionally absent), varying from heart-shaped to chevron-shaped ( Short, 1972, 1982; Winkler et al., 1995; Winkler & Christie, 2002). Measurements of C. f. flavescens are also larger than those of C. f. ochraceus ( Short, 1972; Winkler et al., 1995). Celeus f. intercedens has dorsal white bars broad- er than C. f. flavescens, sometimes presenting the dorsal buffy tinge of C. f. ochraceus ( Short, 1972, 1982; Winkler et al., 1995). This subspecies is considered intermediate in size between C.f. flavescens and C. f. ochraceus ( Winkler & Christie, 2002) . Despite presenting variable plumage, sometimes considered intermediate in dorsal barring between C. f. flavescens and C. f. ochraceus, and with some of the rust tinge of C. f. ochraceus, these characters are considered stable in some areas ( Short, 1982; Winkler et al., 1995), which led Short (1982) to recognize Celeus f. intercedens as a subspecies. Short (1982) also pointed out that an intergradation zone between C. f. flavescens and C.f.ochraceus probably occurs in southern Bahia and Espírito Santo states, but without any signal of intermediate and stable phenotypes of C. f. intercedens.

Benz & Robbins (2011), based on molecular data, proposed that C. ochraceus deserves full species status instead of being regarded as a subspecies of C. flavescens . Nevertheless, these authors pointed out that the taxonomic status of C.f. intercedens still needs to be clarifyied, based on populations of C. ochraceus that resemble this taxon in suture zones located in Central Brazil.

More recently, Firme (2015) presented a systematic revision of Celeus , in which C. f. intercedens was synonymized with C. f. flavescens, based on the large variation of diagnostic characters previously assigned to both subspecies. Firme (2015) also considered C. ochraceus as a full species. Thus, in the most recent revision of this complex, only two taxa are considered: C. flavescens (including intercedens) and C. ochraceus .

Celeus ochraceus was infrequent in our sampling (IFL = 4.4%), occurring exclusively in dry forest habitats. One male was collected (MCNA 5057). It presents cordiform black spots on the back and on the wings ( Fig. 4 ), a diagnostic character of C. ochraceus ( Firme, 2015) . Measurements of this specimen are also close to the range of the small series (n ≤ 9) of C. ochraceus analyzed by Short (1972), which are (in mm): wing: 140.0; tail: 83.9; bill (from nostril):21.0.The only exception is tarsus length (26.3 mm), which is larger than expected and matches the range of measurements of C. flavescens .

It is noteworthy that a male of C. flavescens (MCNA 552) was collected at Fazenda Canabrava (18°11’S, 44°03’W), Augusto de Lima municipality, a site located only 130 km southeast from the study area. Its barred back plumage ( Fig. 4 ) and measurements are within the variation typical of C. flavescens ( Short, 1972; Winkler et al., 1995). Measurements are (in mm): wing: 164.0; tail: 94.5; bill (from nostril): 23.8; tarsus length: 27.2.

This appears to be the southernmost record of the Ochre-backed Woodpecker ( Wiki Aves, 2017). Other specimens of C. ochraceus collected in its southern range are from Campus AvanÇado, Janaúba (15°49’S, 43°16’W) (DZUFMG 3354) and Riacho dos Machados (16°02’S, 43°08’W) (MCNA 2522, MCNA 2682, MCNA 2763), Minas Gerais. Based on these specimens, there is a possible contact zone of C. ochraceus and C. flavescens somewhere between the study area and the western slope of the EspinhaÇo Range.

Figures

Figure 4. Male specimens of Celeus ochraceus (MCNA 5057) from the study area (above) and Celeus flavescens (MCNA 552) from Fazenda Canabrava, Augusto de Lima,Minas Gerais (below).