Colaptes auricularis
The Grey-crowned Woodpecker (*Colaptes auricularis*) is a striking mid-sized woodpecker, measuring about 20-23 cm (8-9 inches) in length, characterized by its distinctive grey crown and nape. Its upperparts are a dull olive-green, finely barred with dark grey, contrasting with heavily spotted and streaked pale yellowish-white underparts. A prominent white supercilium above a dark eye and a white moustachial stripe frame its face, while the males boast a vibrant reddish-orange malar stripe and...
This species primarily inhabits humid pine-oak and evergreen montane forests, often preferring canyons and slopes, at elevations typically ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 meters.
Their diet consists predominantly of insects, particularly ants and termites, which they forage for by excavating wood or probing on the ground, supplemented with berries and fruits.
Grey-crowned Woodpeckers are primarily diurnal, often foraging actively during the day and roosting in tree cavities at night. They employ a varied foraging strategy, probing crevices and scaling tree trunks for insects, but also descend to the ground to feed on ants and termites, a common flicke...
The Grey-crowned Woodpecker is endemic to Mexico, with its primary range extending along the western and southwestern mountainous regions. Its distribution spans from southeastern Sonora and southwestern Chihuahua south through Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, an...
Least Concern
- The Grey-crowned Woodpecker is endemic to Mexico, meaning it's found naturally nowhere else in the world. - Despite its name, the Grey-crowned Woodpecker belongs to the *Colaptes* genus, which includes the well-known Northern Flicker, and shares many flicker-like behaviors, including ground for...