Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-eared Woodpecker
Veniliornis maculifrons
Yellow-eared Woodpecker (Veniliornis maculifrons) — Woodpeckers & Toucans of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker (Veniliornis maculifrons) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 38.7 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 maculifrons
Quick facts
- Weight
- 38.7 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 Yellow-eared 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 Yellow-eared Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker (Veniliornis maculifrons) is a member of the Picidae family, within the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Brazil.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 38.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.4 cm and a tail of around 5.3 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 254,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-eared Woodpecker?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker is a small bird that weighs around 38.7 g.
Where does the Yellow-eared Woodpecker live?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA e Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-eared Woodpecker belong to?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker (Veniliornis maculifrons) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Yellow-eared Woodpecker eat?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellow-eared Woodpecker migrate?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-eared 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 Yellow-eared Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-eared 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 Yellow-eared Woodpecker's range?
The Yellow-eared Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 254,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Picidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
More in Woodpeckers & Toucans
Least Concern
Endangered
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
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.