Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Variable Woodpecker
Celeus undatus
Variable Woodpecker (Celeus undatus) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Variable Woodpecker (Celeus undatus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 64.5 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 undatus
Where it lives
Western, central Amazonia from southeastern Colombia and eastern Peru to central Brazil and the Guianas
Quick facts
- Weight
- 64.5 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 Variable 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 Variable Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Variable Woodpecker (Celeus undatus) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA w, c Amazonia from se Colombia and e Peru to c Brazil and the Guianas.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 64.5 g, with a wing length of about 12.3 cm and a tail of around 7.1 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 5.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Variable Woodpecker?
The Variable Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 64.5 g.
Where does the Variable Woodpecker live?
The Variable Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA w, c Amazonia from se Colombia and e Peru to c Brazil and the Guianas, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Variable Woodpecker belong to?
The Variable Woodpecker (Celeus undatus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Variable Woodpecker eat?
The Variable Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Variable Woodpecker migrate?
The Variable Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Variable 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 Variable Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Variable 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 Variable Woodpecker's range?
The Variable Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 5.5 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.