West Indian Woodpecker

The West Indian woodpecker (Melanerpes superciliaris) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Cuba. == Taxonomy and systematics == The West Indian woodpecker was originally described as Picus superciliaris and has also been assigned to genus Centurus. Major taxonomic systems assign these five subspecies to the West Indian woodpecker: M. s. nyeanus (Ridgway, 1886) M. s. blakei (Ridgway, 1886) M. s. superciliaris (Temminck, 1827) M. s. murceus (Bangs, 1910) M. s. caymanensis (Cory, 1886) Populations on two small Cuban islands have been treated as additional subspecies M. s. florentinoi and M. s. sanfelipensis. The treatment was based on only a few specimens, and those populations are possibly extinct. The population on Grand Bahama Island was also sometimes treated as subspecies M. s. bahamensis; it is apparently extinct. None of these subspecies have gained wide acceptance. == Description == The West Indian woodpecker is about 27 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in) long and weighs 48 to 126 g (1.7 to 4.4 oz). Individuals on large islands are larger than those on small islands, and males are generally heavier and slightly larger than females.…