Rufous-headed Woodpecker
A species of Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers Scientific name : Celeus spectabilis Genus : Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Rufous-headed Woodpecker, A species of Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Botanical name: Celeus spectabilis
Genus: Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Content
Description General Info
Description
The adult rufous-headed woodpecker is about 27 cm (11 in) in length. The sexes differ in their facial colouring, with the male having a broad crimson patch on the cheeks which the female lacks. The back of the head in both sexes bears a shaggy crest, and the head, crest and throat are a rich chocolate brown or rufous brown. The nape has shaggy, mustard-coloured feathers, and the mantle and back are black with yellow barring. The rump and upper tail-coverts are yellowish, the main flight feathers in the wing are brown and the tail feathers are black. The upper breast is black while the lower breast and the rest of the underparts and flanks are yellow or cream with black barrings, markings or chevrons. The eye is dark, the beak is ivory or yellowish, and the legs are grey. 
Size
28 cm
Nest Placement
Cavity
Feeding Habits
Rufous-headed Woodpecker primarily consumes bamboo ants and other insects, foraging alone or with a partner across various forest levels and even on the ground. Unique in its forceful pecking, rufous-headed Woodpecker also probes trunks and branches, notably pecking at horizontal bamboo stems.
Habitat
Rufous-headed Woodpecker thrives in humid tropical forests, often situated along riverbanks and on river islands. These environments are typified by lush vegetation including bamboo thickets, such as Chusquea and Guadua species, a habitat preference particularly noted in western Brazil. In Ecuadorian locales, rufous-headed Woodpecker is drawn to areas abundant with Cecropia trees and a cane understorey, predominantly formed by Gynerium species, as well as regions where Heliconia plants are prevalent.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The rufous-headed woodpecker is found in tropical South America, to the east of the Andes. Its range extends from Ecuador and Peru to northern Bolivia, and the westernmost parts of Brazil. It occurs in humid rain forest at altitudes of up to around 300 m (1,000 ft), especially near rivers and on islands. In Bolivia it is often associated with Guadua, a form of clumping bamboo, while in other parts of its range, it is associated with Gynerium, Heliconia and Cecropia; it largely feeds on ants in the understory and on the forest floor.
Species Status
The rufous-headed woodpecker has a large range and a presumed large total population. It is generally considered to be uncommon, and the total number of birds is likely to be in slow decline, but the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.
Scientific Classification
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