Illustration of the Spectacled Woodpecker

A scientific illustration of the Spectacled Woodpecker eating mistletoe. The first formal description of this species is reported Oct. 17 in the journal Zootaxa and confirms that the bird belongs to a colorful family of fruit-eating birds known as flowerpeckers, which are found throughout tropical southern Asia, Australia and nearby islands. The Smithsonian team that described the new species analyzed the bird’s diet. Like other flowerpeckers, the new species has been spotted eating mistletoe, a parasitic plant that grows high in the forest canopy. Through DNA analysis and close inspection of seeds from the bird’s gut, the team was able to identify the type of mistletoe that the bird eats. This information gives researchers a new perspective on this bird’s ecological needs and habitat preferences.

Credit: Chris Milensky