Photo: Rick elis.simpson / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Little Woodpecker
Veniliornis passerinus
Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 32.1 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 Veniliornis
- Species passerinus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 32.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Little 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 Little Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 32.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 cm and a tail of around 4.7 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 11.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Little Woodpecker?
The Little Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 32.1 g.
Where does the Little Woodpecker live?
The Little Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Little Woodpecker belong to?
The Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Little Woodpecker eat?
The Little Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Little Woodpecker migrate?
The Little Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Little 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 Little Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Little Woodpecker — 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 Little Woodpecker's range?
The Little Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 11.1 million 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.