About Melanerpes hypopolius (Wagler, 1829)
This bird species, Melanerpes hypopolius, resembles the Gila woodpecker, which has a round red crown patch on males. It differs from the Gila woodpecker by having pale red coloring on the cheek, a short black line above the eye, and much darker, grayer coloration on its underparts and head. It is also similar to zebra-backed species within the same genus Melanerpes. In Mexico, this species occurs in Guerrero, Morelos, and Puebla. Before a 1990 study from the Cooper Ornithological Society that observed six individuals, little was known about this species' behavior. The study confirmed that the species engages in communal roosting, specifically on cacti. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.
