Rufous-headed Woodpecker

Overview

The rufous-headed woodpecker (Celeus spectabilis) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in parts of South America, specifically Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

Identification

• Length of 26 to 28 cm with a rufous-chestnut head and cream-buff neck patch extending down the breast.
• Males possess a deep red malar patch and a larger red patch on the crest, whereas females lack the malar patch and have at most a trace of red on the crest.
• Pale yellowish or grayish ivory bill, deep red-brown iris, and olive green to grayish legs.
• Song consists of a loud squealing 'skweeah' followed by a bubbling 'kluh-kluh-kluh-kluh-kluh' series, with drums being evenly pitched and loud on hollow bamboo.

Habitat

The species inhabits humid tropical rainforest, usually along rivers and on their islands. It is often associated with Chusquea and Guadua bamboo in Peru and Brazil, and favours landscapes with Cecropia trees in Ecuador. Its elevation range is low, reaching only about 300 m.

Diet

The rufous-headed woodpecker is believed to feed mainly on bamboo ants, though its diet probably includes other insects. It typically forages singly or in pairs at any level of the forest and on fallen logs, probing and forcefully pecking at trunks, branches, and bamboo to reveal prey.

Did you know?

Drums are described as evenly pitched and particularly loud when the bird strikes hollow bamboo. Only two nests have ever been described for the species, with one held by a male provisioning a single chick.