Antillean piculet Antillean piculet The Antillean piculet ("Nesoctites micromegas") is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is monotypic within the genus Nesoctites. The species is evolutionarily distinct from the other piculets and is afforded its own subfamily Nesoctitinae. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. A fossil feather in amber attributed to the genus has been found in the Dominican Republic, showing that the ancestors of the species have been isolated on Hispaniola for at least 25 mya. The Antillean piculet occupies a number of different habitats within Hispaniola, including humid and dry "Pinus" and broadleaf
Antillean piculet of fruit compared to other piculets. Individuals and pairs forage rapidly through the understory of their habitat, mostly on small branches, twigs, vines and stalks, and less commonly on trunks. Food is mostly obtained by gleaning, with a few weak pecks (but no hammering as found in the true woodpeckers). The breeding season of the Antillean piculet is March to July. A cavity is excavated in a stump, tree, palm or fence post in which two to four eggs are laid. The pair are highly territorial and will aggressively call and display towards intruders. Antillean piculet The Antillean piculet ("Nesoctites