The Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani) and Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus) are called the tze’rej, a term that applies to a number of bigger woodpeckers. when these species cry “wek wek,†it is a a bad omen that something bad will soon happen, according to the Mopan Maya of Belize.
Hull, K. & Fergus, R. AN ETHNOORNITHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO HUMAN-BIRD RELATIONS AMONG THE MOPAN MAYA OF BELIZE. 2009.