Photo: BJ Smit / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Arrowhead Piculet
Picumnus minutissimus
Arrowhead Piculet (Picumnus minutissimus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
The Arrowhead Piculet (Picumnus minutissimus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13.3 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 Picumnus
- Species minutissimus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.3 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 Arrowhead Piculet 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 Arrowhead Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Arrowhead Piculet (Picumnus minutissimus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Guianas.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.5 cm and a tail of around 2.8 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 37,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Arrowhead Piculet?
The Arrowhead Piculet is a very small bird that weighs around 13.3 g.
Where does the Arrowhead Piculet live?
The Arrowhead Piculet 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 Arrowhead Piculet belong to?
The Arrowhead Piculet (Picumnus minutissimus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Arrowhead Piculet eat?
The Arrowhead Piculet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Arrowhead Piculet migrate?
The Arrowhead Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Arrowhead Piculet 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 Arrowhead Piculet make?
1 real field recording of the Arrowhead Piculet — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Arrowhead Piculet's range?
The Arrowhead Piculet has a mapped global range of about 37,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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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.