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Photo: Michael Woodruff / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Smoky-brown Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus fumigatus

Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus fumigatus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.

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The Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus fumigatus) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 36.2 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 Leuconotopicus
  5. Species fumigatus

Where it lives

Eastern Mexico to northwestern Argentina

Quick facts

Weight
36.2 g
Family
Picidae
Order
Piciformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

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

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus fumigatus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA e Mexico to nw Argentina.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 36.2 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 6.2 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 1.1 million km².

Songs & calls

Smoky-brown Woodpecker — Call

Recorded by Juan Freile Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Smoky-brown Woodpecker?

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 36.2 g.

Where does the Smoky-brown Woodpecker live?

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA e Mexico to nw Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Smoky-brown Woodpecker belong to?

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus fumigatus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.

What does the Smoky-brown Woodpecker eat?

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Smoky-brown Woodpecker migrate?

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

Is the Smoky-brown 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 Smoky-brown Woodpecker make?

1 real field recording of the Smoky-brown 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 Smoky-brown Woodpecker's range?

The Smoky-brown Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 1.1 million 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.

How to help birds

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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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