Dendropicos

The genus Dendropicos was introduced by the French ornithologist, Alfred Malherbe in 1849.{{ cite journal | last=Malherbe | first=Alfred | author-link=Alfred Malherbe | year=1849 | title=Nouvelle classification des picinée ou pics | journal=Mémoires de l'Académie nationale de Metz | volume=30 | pages=316, 338 | url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k33229k/f328.image | language=fr }} The type species was subsequently designated as one of the subspecies of the cardinal woodpecker.{{ cite journal | last=Sclater | first=William Lutley | author-link=William Lutley Sclater | year=1921 | title=Genus Dendropicos | journal=Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club | volume=42 | pages=25 | url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32428441 }}{{ cite book | editor-last1=Dickinson | editor-first1=E.C. | editor1-link=Edward C. Dickinson | editor-last2=Remsen | editor-first2=J.V. Jr. | editor2-link=James Van Remsen, Jr. | year=2013 | title=The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World | volume= 1: Non-passerines | edition=4th | place=Eastbourne, UK | publisher=Aves Press | isbn=978-0-9568611-0-8 | page=312 }} The word Dendropicos comes from the Greek dendron meaning tree and pikos for woodpecker.{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url=https://archive.org/details/helmdictionarysc00jobl_997 | url-access=limited | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/helmdictionarysc00jobl_997/page/n133 133]}} Molecular genetic studies have shown that the genus Dendropicos is sister to the genus Chloropicus.{{Cite journal | last1=Shakya | first1=S.B. | last2=Fuchs | first2=J. | last3=Pons | first3=J.-M. | last4=Sheldon | first4=F.H. | date=2017 | title=Tapping the woodpecker tree for evolutionary insight | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=116 | pages=182–191 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2017.09.005 | pmid=28890006 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319596154 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2017MolPE.116..182S }}

The genus Dendropicos formerly contained several additional species. A 2015 molecular phylogenetic study that analysed nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences from pied woodpeckers found that Dendropicos was polyphyletic. In the rearranged genera the bearded, fire-bellied and yellow breasted woodpeckers were moved to Chloropicus while the Arabian woodpecker was moved to Dendrocoptes.{{ cite journal | last1=Fuchs | first1=J. | last2=Pons | first2=J.M. | year=2015 | title=A new classification of the pied woodpeckers assemblage (Dendropicini, Picidae) based on a comprehensive multi-locus phylogeny | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=88 | pages=28–37 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2015.03.016 | pmid=25818851| bibcode=2015MolPE..88...28F }}{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | title=Woodpeckers | work= World Bird List Version 6.2 | url= http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/woodpeckers/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union| access-date = 5 May 2016 }} The taxonomic committee of the British Ornithologists' Union have recommended an alternative arrangement of species in which the genera Dendrocoptes and Leiopicus are combined into a larger Dendropicos.{{ cite journal | last1=Sangster | first1=G. | display-authors=etal | year=2016 | title=Taxonomic recommendations for Western Palearctic birds: 11th report | journal=Ibis | volume=158 | issue=1 | pages=206–212 | doi=10.1111/ibi.12322}} {{open access}}

Elliot's, African grey, eastern grey and olive woodpeckers are sometimes placed in a separate genus, Mesopicos.

The genus contains the following 12 species:

Only males have red plumage in the crown, and some species have red plumage on the rump or belly in either sex.

{{Reflist}}

{{Cavitaves|Pi.|state=collapsed}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q769083}}

Category:Bird genera

Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa

Category:Taxa named by Alfred Malherbe

Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

{{woodpecker-stub}}