Red-rumped Woodpecker

Overview

The red-rumped woodpecker (Dryobates kirkii) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae found across Central and South America. It is a year-round resident throughout its extensive range, which spans from Costa Rica south to Peru and east to Brazil, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Identification

• Length of 15 to 16 cm with a weight of 30 to 42 g.
• Plumage features olive-brown upperparts with a crimson-red rump, while underparts are barred with dark brown and whitish tones.
• Males of the nominate subspecies possess a red crown and nape, whereas females have a dark brown crown with a green tinge.
• Vocalisations include a slow series of nasal calls described as 'kénh kenh kenh kenh', along with ventriloquial 'wih' or 'kwee' sounds and rapid, noisy drumming.

Habitat

The species inhabits a wide variety of mostly open lowland and foothill landscapes, including wet and secondary forests, mangrove edges, gallery forests, dry scrublands, deciduous forests, savannas with scattered trees, and coconut plantations. Elevation limits vary by region, reaching up to 1,750 m in the tepui area.

Diet

Foraging occurs primarily from the forest's mid-level to the canopy, though the bird will descend to lower levels at the edges. It hunts by pecking and steady hammering on small branches, trunks, and thick growth, usually singly, in pairs, or in small groups that may join mixed-species flocks. Its diet consists of adults and larvae of wood-boring beetles and other insects.

Did you know?

Despite being considered uncommon to fairly common in various parts of its range, the red-rumped woodpecker is generally inconspicuous and is often overlooked by observers. Its presence is frequently revealed not by sight, but by the sound of its frequent pecking and hammering.