Waved Woodpecker
A species of Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers Scientific name : Celeus undatus Genus : Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Waved Woodpecker, A species of Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Botanical name: Celeus undatus
Genus: Neotropical Crested Woodpeckers
Content
Description General Info
Description
The adult waved woodpecker has a length of about 23 cm (9 in). The back of the head bears a brown, shaggy tuft with faint blackish markings. The male has bright red cheeks, while the female lacks any red facial colouring, but otherwise the sexes are similar. The head and body are a blend of various shades of cinnamon, rufous, and chestnut, finely barred with black. The rump is yellowish-brown, with some dark barring. The main flight feathers are black and the tail feathers are chestnut, tipped with black. The throat is cinnamon, speckled with brown, and the underparts are buff or chestnut, densely marked with dark barrings or chevron-shaped markings. The eye is reddish brown, the beak is yellow or buff with a bluish base and the legs are grey. This bird could be confused with the scaly-breasted woodpecker, but that species has a darker head and no barring on the rump.
Size
24 cm
Feeding Habits
Waved Woodpecker primarily feeds on ants and termites but will also consume seeds. It typically forages inconspicuously in the treetops and may join mixed-species flocks for feeding.
Habitat
Waved Woodpecker predominantly inhabits the dense rainforests, thriving in environments with rich vegetation and high humidity. These birds are also known to venture into more open savanna regions, often found at the edges of forests and in the vicinity of riverine systems, where they can find abundant food sources and nesting opportunities.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Behavior
The waved woodpecker may occur singly or in pairs, and sometimes joins small mixed species foraging groups. It feeds unobtrusively on the trunks and branches of trees and among the foliage, largely foraging for ants and termites, but supplementing these with fruits, berries and seeds.
Distribution Area
The waved woodpecker is found in tropical north-eastern South America. Its range extends from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela through the Guianas to northeastern Brazil, both north and south of the Amazon River, and southwards to eastern Peru and Bolivia. It occurs in lowland rainforest, mostly below 1,000 m (3,300 ft), secondary forest and forest margins, and sometimes visits scattered trees in savannah grassland.
Species Status
The waved woodpecker has a very large range and a presumed large total population, which may be declining slowly. The chief threat it faces is degradation of its forest habitat. It is a resident species, sometimes described as being uncommon, but that may in part be because of its unobtrusive behaviour. It seems tolerant of secondary habitats, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.