Photo: Zieger M / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-necked Woodpecker
Colaptes atricollis
Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis) — 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 Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 76.1 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 atricollis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 76.1 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 Black-necked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-necked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Peru.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 76.1 g, with a wing length of about 11.9 cm and a tail of around 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 201,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-necked Woodpecker?
The Black-necked Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 76.1 g.
Where does the Black-necked Woodpecker live?
The Black-necked Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-necked Woodpecker belong to?
The Black-necked Woodpecker (Colaptes atricollis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Black-necked Woodpecker eat?
The Black-necked Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-necked Woodpecker migrate?
The Black-necked Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-necked 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 Black-necked Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Black-necked 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 Black-necked Woodpecker's range?
The Black-necked Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 201,000 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.