Environment influences the geographic phenotypic variation in Velazquez’s Woodpecker (Centurus santacruzi)

Geographic patterns of phenotypic variation are common in birds and its study is important for the understanding of the underlying evolutionary processes taking place in a population over time and space. Here, we analyzed geographic phenotypic variation in a highly variable species, the Velazquez´s Woodpecker (Centurus santacruzi). Across the range of C. santacruzi, distinct plumage morphs (both color and pattern) are associated with locality, while size did not show a clear geographic pattern. We show correlations of phenotypic characters with environmental variables, with a tendency towards more barred and redder plumage patterns in habitats with more stable and less seasonal year-round precipitation. Plumage characters are also partially correlated, with redder coloration associated with a more densely barred back pattern. Our results suggest local phenotypic adaptation in response to environmental variation could drive the high geographic variation present in this taxon.