Dot-fronted Woodpecker

Overview

The dot-fronted woodpecker is a species of woodpecker found in South America. It is a generally rather uncommon bird that has historically been classified in the genus Veniliornis, though some modern taxonomies place it within Dryobates.

Identification

• Approximately 16 cm long and weighing 30–40 g, with a longish blackish beak featuring a paler mandible and dark gray legs.
• Males possess an olive to gray-brown forehead with numerous white spots, while females have an olive-brown forehead and nape with white spots.
• Both sexes display a mostly olive-brown face with a thin white supercilium and a thin white 'moustache'.
• Upperparts are yellowish olive with golden feather tips, and underparts are olive-gray with narrow whitish bars.

Habitat

This species inhabits dry montane woodland, humid forest, and the transition zones between these environments. Its range extends along the east side of the Andes from the Cochabamba and Santa Cruz departments of Bolivia south to Tucumán Province in Argentina, typically at elevations below 2,000 m.

Diet

The dot-fronted woodpecker typically forages near the ground on tree trunks and small branches. However, its specific diet has not been described in the available reference material.

Did you know?

The species is considered very poorly known, with its breeding biology remaining largely undefined except for a single recorded nest cavity located approximately 8 m above the ground in a dead tree. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being of Least Concern, despite a population that is believed to be decreasing.