Piculus flavigula
The Yellow-throated Woodpecker (Piculus flavigula) is a vibrant and relatively common inhabitant of Neotropical forests, celebrated for its striking plumage. Measuring around 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length and weighing 45-60 grams, it boasts a predominantly olive-green back and wings, contrasting sharply with a bright yellow throat and upper breast. Its head is often dark, sometimes with a reddish-brown tinge, and a pale supercilium can be present, although it's often subtle. Males are disti...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, extending into humid montane forests and forest edges. It typically occurs at elevations from sea level up to 1,500-2,000 meters.
Its diet consists predominantly of insects, particularly ants and termites, which it extracts from wood and bark. It occasionally supplements this with small fruits or berries.
Yellow-throated Woodpeckers are primarily diurnal, spending their days actively foraging for insects and generally roosting in tree cavities at night. Their foraging strategy involves methodically climbing trunks and branches, using their strong bills to peck and probe into bark crevices, rotten ...
The Yellow-throated Woodpecker has a broad and continuous distribution across northern and central South America. Its range extends from southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, and the Guianas, south through eastern Ecuador and Peru, across northern Bolivia, and extensively throughout the Amaz...
Least Concern
- The Yellow-throated Woodpecker's scientific name, *Piculus flavigula*, literally means "little woodpecker with a yellow throat," perfectly describing its most distinctive feature. - Unlike some woodpeckers that prefer open woodlands, this species is a true denizen of dense tropical and subtropi...