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Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Chestnut Piculet

Picumnus cinnamomeus

Chestnut Piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.

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The Chestnut Piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Piciformes
  3. Family Picidae Woodpeckers
  4. Genus Picumnus
  5. Species cinnamomeus

Where it lives

Northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela

Quick facts

Weight
11.3 g
Family
Picidae
Order
Piciformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Chestnut Piculet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Chestnut Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Chestnut Piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Colombia and nw Venezuela.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 2.7 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 131,000 km².

Songs & calls

Chestnut Piculet — Drumming

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Chestnut Piculet?

The Chestnut Piculet is a very small bird that weighs around 11.3 g.

Where does the Chestnut Piculet live?

The Chestnut Piculet is found across South America with a range covering SA n Colombia and nw Venezuela, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Chestnut Piculet belong to?

The Chestnut Piculet (Picumnus cinnamomeus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.

What does the Chestnut Piculet eat?

The Chestnut Piculet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Chestnut Piculet migrate?

The Chestnut Piculet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Chestnut 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 Chestnut Piculet make?

1 real field recording of the Chestnut Piculet — 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 Chestnut Piculet's range?

The Chestnut Piculet has a mapped global range of about 131,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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.

3 min read

Meet the Picidae

A field guide to the Picidae family — 239 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

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