Photo: Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dot-fronted Woodpecker
Veniliornis frontalis
Dot-fronted Woodpecker (Veniliornis frontalis) — 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 Dot-fronted Woodpecker (Veniliornis frontalis) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 36.7 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 frontalis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 36.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker 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 Dot-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker (Veniliornis frontalis) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Bolivia to nw Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 36.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.3 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 103,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dot-fronted Woodpecker?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 36.7 g.
Where does the Dot-fronted Woodpecker live?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Bolivia to nw Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Dot-fronted Woodpecker belong to?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker (Veniliornis frontalis) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Dot-fronted Woodpecker eat?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Dot-fronted Woodpecker migrate?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dot-fronted 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 Dot-fronted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Dot-fronted 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 Dot-fronted Woodpecker's range?
The Dot-fronted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 103,000 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.