Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-throated Woodpecker
Piculus leucolaemus
White-throated Woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus) — 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 White-throated Woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 69 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 Piculus
- Species leucolaemus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Picidae
- Order
- Piciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-throated 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 White-throated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-throated Woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family, part of the order Piciformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69 g, with a wing length of about 12 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 885,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-throated Woodpecker?
The White-throated Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69 g.
Where does the White-throated Woodpecker live?
The White-throated Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA w Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-throated Woodpecker belong to?
The White-throated Woodpecker (Piculus leucolaemus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the White-throated Woodpecker eat?
The White-throated Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-throated Woodpecker migrate?
The White-throated Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-throated 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 White-throated Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the White-throated 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 White-throated Woodpecker's range?
The White-throated Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 885,000 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.