Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Melanerpes rubricapillus
Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 52.3 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 rubricapillus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 52.3 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 Red-crowned Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-crowned Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Venezuela.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 52.3 g, with a wing length of about 10.5 cm and a tail of around 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.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 878,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-crowned Woodpecker?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 52.3 g.
Where does the Red-crowned Woodpecker live?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Venezuela, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-crowned Woodpecker belong to?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Red-crowned Woodpecker eat?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-crowned Woodpecker migrate?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-crowned 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 Red-crowned Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Red-crowned Woodpecker — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-crowned Woodpecker's range?
The Red-crowned Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 878,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Not Evaluated
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.