Cream-backed Woodpecker

Overview

The cream-backed woodpecker (Campephilus leucopogon) is a species of bird in the family Picidae, classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is a year-round resident found across several South American countries.

Identification

• Size: 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in) long, weighing 203 to 281 g (7.2 to 9.9 oz).
• Plumage: Mostly black below the neck with a whitish upper back; heads are entirely red in males and females, with a creamy band from the bill to the ear coverts surrounded by black.
• Sexual Dimorphism: Males possess a red crest and a small black and white spot on the ear coverts, while females have a longer crest and lack the covert spot.
• Bill and Eyes: Features a long ivory chisel bill and pale yellow irises.
• Calls: Produces a call described as "pi-ow" or "kwee-yaw", along with whirring notes and a double-tap drum.

Habitat

Found from north-central Bolivia and western and central Paraguay to north-central Argentina, northern Uruguay, and southeastern Brazil. It inhabits generally open landscapes of the dry Gran Chaco, including savanna, woodlands, transitional forest, pastures with copses of trees, and palm groves, up to an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft).

Diet

The primary food is beetle larvae, which it exposes by hammering and less frequently by pecking and probing. It mostly forages in tall trees, often those isolated in otherwise open areas, but will also feed on fallen logs, usually alone except during the breeding season.

Did you know?

Although the species is poorly known and probably not common, it is assessed as Least Concern because it has a large range and a believed stable population, with no immediate threats identified.