Photo: Karla Pérez León / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Veniliornis kirkii
Red-rumped Woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-rumped Woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 28.8 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 kirkii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.8 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 Red-rumped 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 Red-rumped Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-rumped Woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to nw SA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.8 g, with a wing length of about 8.6 cm and a tail of around 5.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 705,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-rumped Woodpecker?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 28.8 g.
Where does the Red-rumped Woodpecker live?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to nw SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-rumped Woodpecker belong to?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker (Veniliornis kirkii) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Red-rumped Woodpecker eat?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Red-rumped Woodpecker migrate?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-rumped 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 Red-rumped Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Red-rumped 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 Red-rumped Woodpecker's range?
The Red-rumped Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 705,000 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.