Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Campephilus melanoleucos
Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 256 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 Campephilus
- Species melanoleucos
Quick facts
- Weight
- 256 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 Crimson-crested 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 Crimson-crested Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread, also Panama.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 256 g, with a wing length of about 18.4 cm and a tail of around 11.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crimson-crested Woodpecker?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is a large bird that weighs around 256 g.
Where does the Crimson-crested Woodpecker live?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, also Panama, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crimson-crested Woodpecker belong to?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Crimson-crested Woodpecker eat?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Crimson-crested Woodpecker migrate?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crimson-crested 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 Crimson-crested Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Crimson-crested 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 Crimson-crested Woodpecker's range?
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 11.1 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.