Photo: Ryan Douglas / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Puerto Rican Woodpecker
Melanerpes portoricensis
Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of North America.
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) is a member of the Picidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 59.9 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 Melanerpes
- Species portoricensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 59.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across North America. Its distribution covers NA Puerto Rico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 59.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.9 cm and a tail of around 7.6 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 8,923 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 59.9 g.
Where does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker live?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is found across North America with a range covering NA Puerto Rico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker belong to?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker eat?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker migrate?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker 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 Puerto Rican Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Puerto Rican Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker's range?
The Puerto Rican Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 8,923 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.