White-wedged Piculet

Overview

The white-wedged piculet (Picumnus albosquamatus) is a species of woodpecker found in parts of South America, classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is a small bird belonging to the subfamily Picumninae, with a range that spans Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

Identification

• Size and weight: Measures 10 to 11 cm in length and weighs between 9 and 11 g.
• Plumage: Males feature a black cap with red-tipped forehead feathers and small white spots, while females lack the red on the forehead; both sexes have white faces, scalloped underparts, and a dark brown tail with distinct white patches.
• Song: Emits a high-pitched trill that rises slightly before falling gradually, described as 'tititititititititititi'.

Habitat

The species inhabits denser sections of moderately dry cerrado and gallery forest, occurring from lowlands up to an elevation of 2,100 m. The nominate subspecies is found in north-central and eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, northern Paraguay and northwestern Argentina, while P. a. guttifer ranges through eastern and central Brazil.

Diet

Foraging techniques are poorly understood, but data from the northern Pantanal in Brazil suggests that the white-wedged piculet eats exclusively ants.

Did you know?

Although generally a year-round resident, this species has been documented nesting in at least one fence post, in addition to holes in tree branches.