Guadeloupe Woodpecker

The Guadeloupe Woodpecker is found nowhere else in the world except the island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, where it inhabits a range of forest types. Unlike most woodpeckers, which show strong black-and-white or spotted patterns, this species is almost entirely dark with a subtle glossy sheen.

Its restricted range and distinctive dark plumage make it an easily recognized, if geographically limited, species.

• Body feathers are glossy blackish, often showing a subtle purple or blue sheen in good light
• A small patch of dark red is present on the lower underparts, the only strongly contrasting color in the plumage
• The overall lack of barring or spotting is itself a key identification feature, unusual among woodpeckers
• Wing and tail feathers share the same dark, glossy tone as the body
• Feather texture is otherwise typical of a medium-sized woodpecker

Sexes are broadly similar in plumage, both showing the same dark glossy body and red patch on the lower underparts, with subtle differences in bill size sometimes noted between males and females. Juveniles are duller and less glossy. A single molt follows the breeding season.

• Endemic to the island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles
• Found across a range of forest types on the island, including both wetter and drier forest
• Resident and non-migratory, as expected for an island endemic

This species forages on trunks and branches for insects, and readily uses a variety of forest types across its small island range. It gives sharp calls and drums on resonant wood to communicate. Nest cavities are excavated in dead or decaying trunks within forest habitat.