Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pale-crested Woodpecker
Celeus lugubris
Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 137 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 Celeus
- Species lugubris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 137 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pale-crested 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 Pale-crested Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA sc.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 137 g, with a wing length of about 14.3 cm and a tail of around 8.3 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 842,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pale-crested Woodpecker?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 137 g.
Where does the Pale-crested Woodpecker live?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA sc, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Pale-crested Woodpecker belong to?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Pale-crested Woodpecker eat?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pale-crested Woodpecker migrate?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pale-crested 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 Pale-crested Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Pale-crested 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 Pale-crested Woodpecker's range?
The Pale-crested Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 842,000 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.