Pale-crested Woodpecker

Overview

The pale-crested woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is found across parts of South America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Identification

• Approximately 23 to 24 cm long, with a pale blond to buffish head featuring a long pointed crest.
• Males display a wide bright red malar area and cheek, whereas females have barred or scaly brown markings in the same region.
• Upperparts are deep rufous-black with a blond to cream-buff lower back and rump, while underparts are dark sooty rufous.
• Song consists of a very high, slackening, fluted 'twee-twee-tee-tee-tee' sequence.

Habitat

The species inhabits somewhat open landscapes of semi-deciduous forest, cerrado woodland, and dry Chaco woodlands, often occurring in areas with palms. The nominate subspecies is found in central and eastern Bolivia and western Mato Grosso, Brazil, while the other subspecies occupies most of Paraguay, southern Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and northeastern Argentina.

Diet

Ants constitute the main food source, with adults, larvae, and pupae all being consumed. Foraging typically occurs at the middle level of the forest, where the bird probes, gleans, and pecks open dead wood and ant tunnels to capture prey.

Did you know?

During the breeding season, these birds excavate nest cavities not just in trees, but also within arboreal ant or termite nests located 4 to 10 m above the ground.