Scaled Piculet

The scaled piculet (Picumnus squamulatus) is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. == Taxonomy == The scaled piculet was formally described in 1854 by the French ornithologist Frédéric de Lafresnaye under the current binomial name Picumnus squamulatus based on a specimen collected in Colombia. The specific epithet is from Latin squamula meaning "little scale". Five subspecies are recognised: P. s. squamulatus Lafresnaye, 1854 – northeast, central Colombia P. s. roehli Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1944 – northeast Colombia and north Venezuela P. s. obsoletus Allen, JA, 1892 – northeast Venezuela P. s. lovejoyi Phelps, WH Jr & Aveledo, 1987 – northwest Venezuela P. s. apurensis Phelps, WH Jr & Aveledo, 1987 – central north Venezuela Subspecies P. s. lovejoyi might not be distinctive enough to warrant treatment as a taxon. A study published in 2014 found that the black-dotted piculet, P. nigropunctatus Zimmer and Phelps (1950) was a junior synonym of Picumnus obsoletus Allen, JA (1892). == Description == The scaled piculet is 8 to 9.2 cm (3.1 to 3.6 in) long and weighs 7 to 12 g (0.25 to 0.42 oz). Adult males of the…