Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-barred Woodpecker
Colaptes melanochloros
Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros) — 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 Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 127 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 Colaptes
- Species melanochloros
Quick facts
- Weight
- 127 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 Green-barred 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 Green-barred Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA e, c, se.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 127 g, with a wing length of about 13.8 cm and a tail of around 9.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-barred Woodpecker?
The Green-barred Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 127 g.
Where does the Green-barred Woodpecker live?
The Green-barred Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA e, c, se, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Green-barred Woodpecker belong to?
The Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Green-barred Woodpecker eat?
The Green-barred Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green-barred Woodpecker migrate?
The Green-barred Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-barred 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 Green-barred Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Green-barred 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 Green-barred Woodpecker's range?
The Green-barred Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 4.7 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.