Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 19. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 19th Lecture (ca. 1799): "301. Red head Woodpecker. Head & neck Red; wing coverts and tail black; belly under part of the body and ends of wing quills white, with some spots on the latter. Picus erythrocephalus Linn. Lic de Virginia Buff. pl. enl. 117. Red Head Woodpecker Catebsy. Catebsy is under a mistake, in saying they are great devourers of fruit and grain. I do not believe that they eat any sort of fruit, unless it may be parsimons, and never any grain. They are very common in all parts of the United States. 302. Female has no difference of plumage except there are black spots on the wings." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
An undated list of 21 bird specimens in Peale's handwriting includes one "Red-head-woodpecker" (American Philosophical Society Library, Mss.B.P31).
Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) described this species under the name "Red-headed Woodpecker / Picus erythrocephalus" in American Ornithology vol. 1 (Pl. 9), where "Peale's Museum No. 1922" was cited (Wilson 1808: 142). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175530#page/170/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175530#page/171/mode/1up (plate)
Two unmounted male specimens of "Picus erythrocephalus (Red Head Wr)" from Florida were listed in "A Catalogue of Duplicate Specimens...", May 1822. [unpublished] APS Library (Mss.B.P31).
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Red-headed Woodpecker
Current Scientific Name
Picidae | Melanerpes erythrocephalus
