Campephilus magellanicus
The Magellanic Woodpecker (*Campephilus magellanicus*) is a striking and massive bird, holding the distinction of being the largest woodpecker in South America and second largest in the Americas. Males are easily identified by their entirely glossy black plumage contrasted with a vibrant crimson head and a prominent crest, while females boast a similarly glossy black body with an equally dramatic, but all-black, curled crest. Adults typically measure 36-38 cm (14-15 inches) in length and can ...
This species primarily inhabits old-growth temperate forests, particularly those dominated by Nothofagus (southern beech) trees, and mixed broadleaf forests. It is found from sea level up to approximately 2000 meters in elevation.
The diet consists mainly of large larvae of wood-boring beetles (e.g., cerambycids, buprestids), supplemented with other adult insects, spiders, and occasionally sap or fruits, especially during winter. Foraging is primarily by excavating and probing into wood.
Magellanic Woodpeckers are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging through the forest and roosting in tree cavities at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves scaling large pieces of bark from dead or decaying trees and excavating deep into the wood to extract large wood-boring bee...
The Magellanic Woodpecker's distribution is restricted to the temperate forests of southern South America, primarily within central and southern Chile (from approximately 35°S south to Tierra del Fuego) and southwestern Argentina (spanning the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cr...
Least Concern
- The Magellanic Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in South America and the second largest in the Americas, surpassed only by the likely extinct Imperial Woodpecker. - Its powerful, chisel-like bill is capable of dislodging large chunks of bark and wood, creating significant excavations in tre...