Photo: BilleBalle1958 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Magellanic Woodpecker
Campephilus magellanicus
Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) — 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 Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 324 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 Campephilus
- Species magellanicus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 324 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Magellanic Woodpecker 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 Magellanic Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Chile and sw Argentina.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 324 g, with a wing length of about 21.8 cm and a tail of around 16.1 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 396,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Magellanic Woodpecker?
The Magellanic Woodpecker is a large bird that weighs around 324 g.
Where does the Magellanic Woodpecker live?
The Magellanic Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Chile and sw Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Magellanic Woodpecker belong to?
The Magellanic Woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Magellanic Woodpecker eat?
The Magellanic Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Magellanic Woodpecker migrate?
The Magellanic Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Magellanic 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 Magellanic Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Magellanic Woodpecker — 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 Magellanic Woodpecker's range?
The Magellanic Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 396,000 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.