Campo Flicker

Overview

The campo flicker (Colaptes campestris) is a species of woodpecker found in South America. It is a terrestrial bird that inhabits a wide variety of semi-open to open landscapes across six countries.

Identification

• Approximately 30 cm long with a long gray bill and reddish brown iris.
• Upperparts are brown with dull white bars, while underparts are white with brown bars.
• Males possess a red malar stripe, whereas females have a black one.
• Song consists of a rapid 'wicwicwic' repeated 10 to 12 times.

Habitat

Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Suriname, and Uruguay, the species occupies a range from 80 m to 1,700 m in elevation. It inhabits diverse environments such as savannas, the Pampas, scrub, gallery forest, and altered landscapes including parks, farmland, and heavily grazed pasture.

Diet

This species forages almost entirely on the ground, pecking, digging, and gleaning for prey in ant and termite mounds, soil, among stones, and in fallen dead wood. Ants and termites constitute the bulk of its diet, with fruits forming a very small portion.

Did you know?

While predominantly monogamous, the species exhibits a complex social system where auxiliary females in cooperative groups may contribute eggs to the nest, leading to high reproductive conflicts within and among groups.