TWO EXAMPLES OF WOOD-PECKER BIRDS

Wood-pecker birds have a known geologic time range from the late Oligocene (about 25 million years ago) to the present, but it is possible that they originated as early as the early Eocene (about 50 million years ago). They are closely related to puffbirds and toucans. The earliest wood-pecker birds lived in the tropics of Eurasia and were most small birds that likely age insects that lived in trees.

Family Picidae (the wood-pecker birds) consists of 36 genera. Birds in this family have reinforced skulls with spongy bones (i.e., shock-absording mechanisms) that allow them to withstand constant pecking on tree bark, but not be injured). These birds also have specialized feet (zygodactyl feet) that enable to hold onto a tree without putting excessive pressure on their ankles.

  Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Piciformes

Family Picidae

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note: no wood peckers live in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand nor in Madagascar.

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GENUS EXAMPLE 1:

“The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker”

Genus Sphyrapicus

Type Species: S. varius

This species lives in Canada and the northeastern USA but migrates to South America (Panama area). This species has black, white, and red plumage with a red cap and a distinctive white strip located along the length of its folded wings on both sexes. It drills neat rows into trees in order to drink sap and eat insects.

                       

                     Figure 1. The “Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker.” 

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GENUS EXAMPLE 2:

“The Acorn Woodpecker”

Genus Melanerpes

Type Species: M. formicivorus 

It lives primarily in Central America and in the western USA. The female is blue colored, whereas the male is black.

Figure 2. “The Acorn Woodpecker” Melanerpes formicicvorus

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Figure 3. Woodpecker drill holes in a California Oak tree.

 When I was checking out the oak trees at the Placerita Nature Center near Santa Clarita, southern California (see several of my previous blog posts on animals that concern this nature center), I came across some trees that have numerous, closely-spaced holes drilled into their trunks. These holes have been filled with acorns from the nearby live oaks. It is likely that these holes were drilled and then filled by “acorn woodpecker” birds. 

“LAMB’S EAR” PLANT

This unusual plant is 13 to 18 inches high and characterized by having long, soft velvety, oblong to elliptical silver leaves (the size depends on the type of cultivare = variety). Its basal leaves are in a rosette. It was a challenge for me to identify, but I finally determined that it Stachys byzantina (also known as the “lamb’s ear”). Its genus name is pronounced “STAH-kees.” The word “stachys” is Greek, meaning “ear of corn,” because its flowers grow on tall, thick spikes. The flowers are usually small (they bloom in July) and are purplish-pink to somewhat red. This plant is native to rocky hills of Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.                                                            

                                     Fig. 1. "Lamb's" ear plant.

It is a hearty perennial found in UDS Zones 4-8 but does not do well in cold winters. This plant is popular as a ground cover and thrives in full sun. It needs well-drained soil. It is drought-tolerant once established. Its fuzzy foliage deters deer and rabbits. It forms a low, spreading mat that makes an effective grown cover. It stands 12 to 18 inches in height. It is not an aggressive spreader. Some people prefer to put this plant in containers to avoid leaf rot.

 Classification

Kingdom Plantae

Clades (4 of them)

Order Lamiales

Family Lamiaceae

Genus Stachys

Type Species S. byzantina 

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026

THREE UNUSUAL BIRDS

BLACK-CROWNED HERON

This bird also goes by several other names: for example, Night Heron or Black-Capped Night Heron.

It is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world (e.g., Europe, Asia, and North America (but not in Canada).

Figure 1. Black-crowned heron. About 1 foot tall. Seen on the shoreline of Castaic Lake, north of Santa Clarita, in Southern California. This unusual heron was seen and photographed by a very observant family friend and a keen-eyed "birder."

   

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Pelicaniformes

Family Ardeidae

Genus Nycticorax

Type Species N. nycticorax

This is not a typical-looking heron because it is stocky with short legs. It does hunch up, however, when resting. Adults have a black crown and a black back. Otherwise, it has a gray color. Its overall body length is 23 to 26 inches. It hunches up when waiting for prey. 

This bird stands still at the water’s edge waiting to ambush its prey, namely, small fish, small clams, squid, frogs, etc.

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TERN BIRD

Larosterna inca is a seabird from from the coasts of Peru and Chile. It lives in nests in large colonies, often near sea gulls. The Inca Tern bird feeds on small fish (anchovies) and small marine invertebrates. Because of man's overfishing of anchovies, as well as habitat loss, this bird currently has a “near threatened” status.

                                               Figure 2. An Inca Tern bird.

It is a very distinctive bird with a slate-gray body and red beak and feet. It also has a prominent white “mustache." Its body is about 1.3 feet long, with a wing span of 10 to11 inches.

The Inca Tern makes a loud, crackling or a cat-like mewing but can also make catlike-mewing calls.

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THE UMPRELLABIRD

These birds are named for their distinct umbrella-like hoods on the top of their heads.

There are three species of this tropical bird. The image of the one illustrated herein (unusual it is bluish rather than black) has a rather short inflatable wattle on its neck, whereas the other species have longer wattles. Thus the specimen illustrated herein is most likely the endangered species Cephalopterus glaricollis, known from Costa Rica and Panama. The wattle is used to make loud, booming calls to attract females. 

These birds are 14 to 15 inches long and weigh less than a pound. Their wingspan is up to 28 inches. They can live for up to 16 years.

Umprellabirds birds can also be found in the Amazon. 

These birds mainly eat fruit but also eat insects and spiders, as well as small vertebrates.

Umprellabirds are secretive and solitary.  The inflatable wattle can amplify their loud booming calls. 

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Aves

Order Passeriformes

Family Cotingidae

Genus Cephalopterus (there are only three species known)

Type Species Cephalopterus ornatus

The geologic time range of umprellabirds is unknown (Wikipedia, 2026).

Figure 3. Cephalopterus glabricullis from Costa Rica and Panama. This species has a short neck-wattle. Image via Picyrl (public domain).

Reference

Wikikpedia, 2025

“BLOBFISH”

The “blobfish” is somewhat ”well known” because it is generally considered to be very ugly. Its unfortunate name is based on an natural shape of this fish.  All blobfish have two shapes: one for deep water specimens (= natural habitat) and one for specimens forced by humans to exist (for a short time) in shallow water (which is NOT the habitat of this fish---i.e., they cannot live in shallow water).

NORMAL FORM: Deep-water specimen.

Figure 1. A"blobfish" [Psychrolutes microporos] from a deep-water depth (about 2,000 to 4,000 feet), is where it normally lives in Western Australia and in New Zealand. At that depth, it looks like a typical fish because the water pressure keeps its body "contained." Blob fish are typically 6 to 12 inches long.

This fish” is not crushed at these extreme depths because the animal has adapted to live there (note: it does not have a swim bladder, and it has weak bones and water-logged tissue for pressure protection). 

In completely dark, very cold, and deep water, where this fish naturally lives, it can “hover” (float) effortlessly just above the sea floor and does not expend energy swimming around. They have a "sit-and-wait" lifestyle and do not chase their prey. They lack teeth and sharp spines. "Blobfish" also lack heavy bones and muscles. They do not chase their food; rather, they wait for crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins to drift by or craw by. Then, they simply suck them into their waiting jaws.Thus, this deep-water version of this fish looks like a normal fish when in its natural deep-water environment.

SHALLOW-WATER FORM: An unnatural habitat for this fish (they cannot live there for very long!).

                             

Figure 2. When placed in shallow water, this fish no longer has the immense water pressure that literally compresses it. Thus, it expands, looks grotesquely swollen, and resembles a blob. After a short time, it will perish.

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Actinopterygii (ray finned)

Order Scorpaeniformes

Family Psychroulutidae

Genus Pyschrolutes

Type Species P. marcidus

So, now you know the story about the unfortunate "common name"-designation of this normally deep-water fish.

Reference

Wikipedia, 2026

ANIMAL AND PLANT MASCOT NAMES OF AMERICAN-SPORTS TEAMS

                      

                                          Mollusk-Inspired Team Names

Banana Slugs [gastropod] 

Krakens [cephalopod]

Geoducks [bivalve]

Mighty Mussels [bivalve]

             Other Invertebrates-Inspired Team Names

Blue Jackets

Hornets

Jumbo Shrimp

Mad Ants

Stone Crabs

                    Vertebrate-Inspired Team Names

BIRDS

Blue Jays

Black Hawks

Cardinals

Ducks

Eagles

Falcons

Orioles

Penguins

Pelicans

Raptors

Ravens

Red Wings

Seahawks

CAMELS

Fighting Camels

FISH

Marlins

Sharks

Rays

MARSUPIALS

Kangaroo

MAMMALS [CATS]

Bengals (Tigers)

Bobcats

Jaguars

Lions

Panthers

Tigers

MAMMALS [OTHER THAN CATS)

Anteaters:

Bears [includes Grizzles; and cubs]

Bucks

Buffalo Bills

Camels

Colts

Coyotes

Dolphins

Flying Squirrels

Horses (Broncos, Colts)

Goats

Rams

“Rumble” Ponies

Seawolves 

Timberwolves

REPTILES

Diamond backs (rattle snake) 

PLANTS

Fighthing Artichokes

Lumberkings

Nuts

Sycamores

Miscellaneous Names (not necessarily animals)

Albuquerque Isotopes

Hardrockers

Montgomery Biscuits 

Rubberducks 

Mist (team now inactive)

Witichita Wingnuts

                                        Primary Reference

https://stadiumtalk.com/s/most-unique-team-names

The above list is a good start, but undoubtedly there are more names, especially if I were to include names of teams in Canada, Europe, Australia, etc.,  but I shall leave those for someone else to tabulate. 

                                        ACKNOWLEGMENT

My friend Lindsey Groves (who was also one of my former graduate students and who is now the Collections Manager of Mollusks at the Los Angeles Natural History County Museum), kindly helped in compiling some of the names listed above.

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK HYBRID

Discussion of this topic can be confusing. So, I shall start with a short review of the ubiquitous male Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos), familiar to all bird enthusiasts. It has a bright iridescent green head, white neck, brown chest, yellow bill, and pale-gray body. The female of this species is much less colorful-with mostly brown and white feathers. Both sexes of this species can endure humans (i.e., they like to be fed).

The much less commonly occurring American Black Duck Hybrid (Anas rubripes) (Fig. 1) is immediately distinctive because of the coloration of the males as well as their relatively long necks. I could not get a good view of a hen (female), but, as Figure 2 shows, they have some brown and/or white coloration in the head/neck area. The hens (females) are VERY wary of humans!

MALLARD X AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (hybrid) 

Anas platyrhynchos X rubicipes

Recently (in early July), I saw several black to blackish ducks hiding in tall weeds along the shoreline of a narrow lake (canal) in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County, southern California. These black to blackish ducks, furthermore, got my attention because although they resemble the shape of a regular (common) mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos), they clearly were not the norm, especially in that they were dark colored and shunned humans. The common mallards are always begging humans for food and come right up to you.

Nearby there were regular-looking mallards. At the time, I was perplexed as to what I was seeing. After consulting some literature, I discovered that these black to partially black ducks are closely related to regular mallards (green/white/brown) and represent a hybrid form of the regular mallards.

Figure 1. Male hybrid-mallard X Black Duck, Anas platyrhynchos X rubicipes.

Figure 2. Two females of hybrid Mallard X Black Ducks in the background, with a male hybrid in the foreground.

DRAGON BLOOD TREE

This very distinctive tree is native to Socrotra Island, Yemen (Fig. 1) in the Arabian Sea areal, off the northeast corner of Africa. This island is 82 miles long and 31 miles wide. The highest mountain there is 4931 feet. The human population of this island is about 60,000.

Figure 1. Socotra Island, off the northeast corner of Somalia, Africa and southeast of Yemen. 

Socotra Island has a large number of endemic species (e.g., 37 percent of its flowers). Also, 90 percent of its reptiles are endemic, and, furthermore, 95 percent of its terrestrial mollusks are endemic. Its mammals are not endemic.

One of the more interesting endemic plants is the “Dragon Blood Tree” (Dracaena clinnabari). These tree have a very distinctive shape and are very slow growing. The average age of trees is about 300 years. Their sap is red and resembles blood. This tree is a threatened species on the island. Although this tree is native to Socrotra, it has also been introduced (spread via humans) to the Canary Islands, Florida, California, Central America, Hawaii, and northern Australia. This tree is very slow growing; it will live for 10-15 years before bearing flowers.

Figure 2. A dragon-blood tree.

  Classification

Kingdom Plantae

Clades (three of them)

Order Asparagales

Family Asparagceae

Genus Dracaena

Type species D. cinnabari