Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spot-breasted Woodpecker
Colaptes punctigula
Spot-breasted Woodpecker (Colaptes punctigula) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker (Colaptes punctigula) is a member of the Picidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 62 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 Colaptes
- Species punctigula
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spot-breasted 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 Spot-breasted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker (Colaptes punctigula) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Panama through n SA and Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 6.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spot-breasted Woodpecker?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62 g.
Where does the Spot-breasted Woodpecker live?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Panama through n SA and Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spot-breasted Woodpecker belong to?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker (Colaptes punctigula) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Spot-breasted Woodpecker eat?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spot-breasted Woodpecker migrate?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spot-breasted 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 Spot-breasted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Spot-breasted 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 Spot-breasted Woodpecker's range?
The Spot-breasted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 3.4 million 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.