Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ochre-backed Woodpecker
Celeus ochraceus
Ochre-backed Woodpecker (Celeus ochraceus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker (Celeus ochraceus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 139 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 Celeus
- Species ochraceus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 139 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ochre-backed 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 Ochre-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker (Celeus ochraceus) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Brazil.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 139 g, with a wing length of about 14.1 cm and a tail of around 7.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ochre-backed Woodpecker?
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 139 g.
Where does the Ochre-backed Woodpecker live?
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA e Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Ochre-backed Woodpecker belong to?
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker (Celeus ochraceus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Ochre-backed Woodpecker eat?
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ochre-backed Woodpecker migrate?
The Ochre-backed Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ochre-backed 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 Ochre-backed Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Ochre-backed Woodpecker — including its drumming — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Ochre-backed Woodpecker's range?
The Ochre-backed 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.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Critically Endangered
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
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.