Skip to main content
Least Concern

Choco Woodpecker

Veniliornis chocoensis

Choco Woodpecker (Veniliornis chocoensis) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Choco Woodpecker (Veniliornis chocoensis) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 30 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Piciformes
  3. Family Picidae Woodpeckers
  4. Genus Veniliornis
  5. Species chocoensis

Where it lives

Western Colombia to northwestern Ecuador

Quick facts

Weight
30 g
Family
Picidae
Order
Piciformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Choco 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 Choco Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Choco Woodpecker (Veniliornis chocoensis) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA w Colombia to nw Ecuador.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 30 g, with a wing length of about 9 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 79,000 km².

Songs & calls

Choco Woodpecker — Call, tap

Recorded by Tayler Brooks Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Choco Woodpecker?

The Choco Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 30 g.

Where does the Choco Woodpecker live?

The Choco Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA w Colombia to nw Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Choco Woodpecker belong to?

The Choco Woodpecker (Veniliornis chocoensis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.

What does the Choco Woodpecker eat?

The Choco Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Choco Woodpecker migrate?

The Choco Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Choco 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 Choco Woodpecker make?

1 real field recording of the Choco 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 Choco Woodpecker's range?

The Choco Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 79,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Picidae

More in Woodpeckers & Toucans

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.

3 min read

Meet the Picidae

A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top