Picumnus steindachneri
The Speckle-chested Piculet (*Picumnus steindachneri*) is a diminutive and engaging member of the woodpecker family, measuring a mere 8-9 cm (3.1-3.5 inches) in length and weighing just 8-12 grams. Its olive-green upperparts contrast with a striking white chest and belly, heavily adorned with fine black speckles, giving it its common name. Distinctive field marks include a dark crown, which in males is spotted with rufous-orange, while females exhibit white spots. Its short, wedge-shaped tail...
Resident in subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, cloud forest edges, and secondary growth, typically found at elevations ranging from 900 to 2000 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on small beetles, ants, ant larvae, and other small arthropods, which it gleans from bark and crevices.
This piculet is a diurnal species, spending its days actively foraging, often individually or in pairs, though it frequently joins mixed-species flocks. Its foraging strategy is distinct from larger woodpeckers; it mainly gleans insects and larvae from thin branches, twigs, and bark crevices, oft...
The Speckle-chested Piculet is endemic to the humid eastern slopes of the Andes, maintaining a resident distribution across southern Ecuador and northern Peru. In Ecuador, its presence is noted in the provinces of Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe. Further south, its range extends into Peru, c...
Near Threatened
- The Speckle-chested Piculet is among the smallest members of the entire woodpecker family (Picidae). - Unlike most woodpeckers, its tail feathers are soft and flexible, not stiffened for bracing against tree trunks. - It often forages by hanging upside down on thin branches, a behavior more typ...