Photo: Joao Quental / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker
Melanerpes cruentatus
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) — 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 Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) is a member of the Picidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 58.1 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 Melanerpes
- Species cruentatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 58.1 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-tufted 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 Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) belongs to the Picidae family of the order Piciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 58.1 g, with a wing length of about 11.4 cm and a tail of around 5.6 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 7.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 58.1 g.
Where does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker live?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker belong to?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) belongs to the Picidae family, in the order Piciformes.
What does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker eat?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker migrate?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-tufted 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-tufted Woodpecker make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-tufted 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-tufted Woodpecker's range?
The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker has a mapped global range of about 7.2 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.