Fernandina's Flicker Dec 2022 Zapata © Yadiel Veunes Alonso
Wow what a superb image - another absolute cracker taken by Yadiel Veunes Alonso recently at Ciénega de Zapata. Fernandina's Flicker is a species of woodpecker and is endemic to Cuba. It is thought that the population may now be down to around just 200 pairs. Never common, it was once more widespread across the island but is now restricted to just five isolated populations, with the Zapata area holding the largest at about 120 pairs. It is now one of the rarest woodpeckers in the World. It's natural habitats include dry forests, dry savanna, swamps, and pastures and it's thought that the main reasons for the decline are loss of habitat due to logging and hurricanes bringing down their nesting trees.
They often forage on the ground, primarily for ants, but also for other insects, worms, grubs and seeds. Fernandina's Flicker breeds between March and June, and during courtship, pairs regularly engage in high-flying chases.
Like all woodpeckers, it is a cavity nester. Recent fieldwork has shown that it prefers to use nest holes started by West Indian Woodpeckers; the Flicker usurps the original owners, finishes off the excavation work, and moves in. The female lays a clutch of three to five white eggs which are incubated for a period of about 18 days. The young fledge after 22 days. But the West Indian Woodpeckers sometimes get their own back and have been observed killing the chicks of Fernandina's Flickers.
A big thank you to Yadiel Veunes Alonso for allowing me to use his fabulous picture.
They often forage on the ground, primarily for ants, but also for other insects, worms, grubs and seeds. Fernandina's Flicker breeds between March and June, and during courtship, pairs regularly engage in high-flying chases.
Like all woodpeckers, it is a cavity nester. Recent fieldwork has shown that it prefers to use nest holes started by West Indian Woodpeckers; the Flicker usurps the original owners, finishes off the excavation work, and moves in. The female lays a clutch of three to five white eggs which are incubated for a period of about 18 days. The young fledge after 22 days. But the West Indian Woodpeckers sometimes get their own back and have been observed killing the chicks of Fernandina's Flickers.
A big thank you to Yadiel Veunes Alonso for allowing me to use his fabulous picture.
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