Campephilus melanoleucos
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is a magnificent and powerfully built member of the Picidae family, instantly recognizable by its striking plumage and impressive size. Averaging 35-38 cm (14-15 inches) in length and weighing between 250-330 grams (8.8-11.6 ounces), it is one of the largest woodpeckers in the Neotropics. Both sexes share a glossy black body, accented by prominent white scapular (shoulder) stripes that meet on the lower back, creating a 'V' shape, and ...
This woodpecker primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, ranging from lowland rainforests to drier deciduous woodlands and gallery forests. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of approximately 2,000 meters (6,500 feet).
Their diet primarily consists of large wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, and other insects found beneath bark or within decaying wood. They forage by powerful drilling and stripping bark from dead or living trees.
Crimson-crested Woodpeckers are diurnal, spending their days foraging and often roosting in self-excavated tree cavities overnight. Their foraging strategy is characterized by powerful excavation; they meticulously strip bark and chip away at dead or decaying wood, often creating large excavation...
The Crimson-crested Woodpecker boasts an extensive resident range spanning much of the Neotropics, from southern Mexico south through Central America and across a vast portion of northern and central South America. Its distribution begins in southern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas) and continu...
Least Concern
- The Crimson-crested Woodpecker is often considered the 'Pileated Woodpecker of the Neotropics' due to its similar size and foraging habits. - Its drumming sound is so strong it can sometimes be mistaken for a human chopping wood in the forest. - The species plays a crucial role in forest ecosys...