Veniliornis chocoensis
The Choco Woodpecker (*Veniliornis chocoensis*) is a vibrant, small woodpecker endemic to the humid Chocó biogeographic region of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Measuring approximately 15-16 cm (about 6 inches) in length, its striking appearance features an olive-green back and distinctive bright yellow rump, a key identification mark. Its underparts are yellowish-olive, heavily barred with dusky markings, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark. Sexual dimorphism is clea...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland and montane forests, typically found at elevations between 300 to 1100 meters, occasionally ranging up to 1500 meters.
Its diet consists mainly of insects, particularly larvae and adult beetles, which it extracts from under bark or decaying wood by gleaning, probing, and pecking.
The Choco Woodpecker is a diurnal species, often observed singly or in pairs as it actively forages through the forest understory and mid-story. Its foraging strategy involves agile gleaning and probing on small branches, twigs, and moss-covered limbs, meticulously searching for hidden insects. L...
The Choco Woodpecker is entirely restricted to the humid Chocó biogeographic region of western South America. Its breeding and resident range extends along the Pacific slope of western Colombia, from the department of Chocó south through Cauca to Nariño. Further south, its distribution continues ...
Least Concern
- The Choco Woodpecker is named after the Chocó biogeographic region, a global biodiversity hotspot to which it is endemic. - It forms a "superspecies" complex with the Yellow-vented Woodpecker and Bar-bellied Woodpecker, indicating a very close evolutionary relationship. - Its bright yellow rump...