Photo: Cláudio Dias Timm from Rio Grande do Sul / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-spotted Woodpecker
Veniliornis spilogaster
White-spotted Woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-spotted Woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 40.3 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 Veniliornis
- Species spilogaster
Where it lives
Southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina and Uruguay
Quick facts
- Weight
- 40.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-spotted Woodpecker 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 White-spotted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-spotted Woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil, e Paraguay, ne Argentina and Uruguay.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 40.3 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 5.3 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-spotted Woodpecker?
The White-spotted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 40.3 g.
Where does the White-spotted Woodpecker live?
The White-spotted Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, e Paraguay, ne Argentina and Uruguay, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-spotted Woodpecker belong to?
The White-spotted Woodpecker (Veniliornis spilogaster) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the White-spotted Woodpecker eat?
The White-spotted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-spotted Woodpecker migrate?
The White-spotted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-spotted 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 White-spotted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the White-spotted 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 White-spotted Woodpecker's range?
The White-spotted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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.