Photo: Carly Lesser & Art Drauglis from Washington, DC / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blood-colored Woodpecker
Veniliornis sanguineus
Blood-colored Woodpecker (Veniliornis sanguineus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
The Blood-colored Woodpecker (Veniliornis sanguineus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 26.5 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 sanguineus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 26.5 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 Blood-colored 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 Blood-colored Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blood-colored Woodpecker (Veniliornis sanguineus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Guianas.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 26.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 4.9 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 36,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blood-colored Woodpecker?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 26.5 g.
Where does the Blood-colored Woodpecker live?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Guianas, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blood-colored Woodpecker belong to?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker (Veniliornis sanguineus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Blood-colored Woodpecker eat?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blood-colored Woodpecker migrate?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blood-colored 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 Blood-colored Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Blood-colored 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 Blood-colored Woodpecker's range?
The Blood-colored Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 36,000 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
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
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.