Photo: Neil Orlando Diaz Martinez from Bogotá D.C., Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Olivaceous Piculet
Picumnus olivaceus
Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 10.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Piciformes
- Family Picidae Woodpeckers
- Genus Picumnus
- Species olivaceus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Olivaceous Piculet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Olivaceous Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Guatemala to nw Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.6 g, with a wing length of about 5.2 cm and a tail of around 2.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 494,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Olivaceous Piculet?
The Olivaceous Piculet is a very small bird that weighs around 10.6 g.
Where does the Olivaceous Piculet live?
The Olivaceous Piculet is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Guatemala to nw Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Olivaceous Piculet belong to?
The Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Olivaceous Piculet eat?
The Olivaceous Piculet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Olivaceous Piculet migrate?
The Olivaceous Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Olivaceous Piculet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Olivaceous Piculet make?
1 real field recording of the Olivaceous Piculet — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Olivaceous Piculet's range?
The Olivaceous Piculet has a mapped global range of about 494,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Suet Feeders for Woodpeckers
How to choose a suet feeder for woodpeckers — the styles compared, why a tail prop helps, and how to keep starlings off. A decision framework with the woodpecker species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Picidae
A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.