Photo: in Alcide Dessalines d'Orbigny / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Bar-bellied Woodpecker
Veniliornis nigriceps
Bar-bellied Woodpecker (Veniliornis nigriceps) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker (Veniliornis nigriceps) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 44 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 Veniliornis
- Species nigriceps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 44 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 Bar-bellied 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 Bar-bellied Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker (Veniliornis nigriceps) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Colombia to Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 44 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 6.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 181,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bar-bellied Woodpecker?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 44 g.
Where does the Bar-bellied Woodpecker live?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA n Colombia to Bolivia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bar-bellied Woodpecker belong to?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker (Veniliornis nigriceps) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Bar-bellied Woodpecker eat?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bar-bellied Woodpecker migrate?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bar-bellied 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 Bar-bellied Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Bar-bellied Woodpecker — 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 Bar-bellied Woodpecker's range?
The Bar-bellied Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 181,000 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.