- Celeus spectabilis
Identification
26–28 cm (10¼-11 in)
Male differs from female mainly in having red malar stripe.
Yellowish-buffy on underside, except for black in throat area and upper breast and black barring on flanks. Upperparts are greyer, strongly barred black except on neck which is prominent as a yellowish ring. Head and distal part of wing brownish to rufous, tail dark.
Similar species
Adult Kaempfer's Woodpecker differs in being smaller, lacks black barring on flanks and less strongly barred on nape, and has reduced black on breast. Juvenile of this form lacks black barring on back and has head except crest blackish connecting down to black on breast (expected in August to October, with an immature observed in January).
Distribution
South America: found in northern Bolivia, westernmost Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru.
Taxonomy
It was formerly considered conspecific with Kaempfer's Woodpecker.
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized[1]:
- C. s. spectabilis:
- C. s. exsul:
Habitat
Tropical humid forests and woodland. It is often associated with bamboo.
Behaviour
Diet
There is little detailed information, but their diet appears to consist mostly of insects, particularly bamboo ants.
Breeding
Breeding starts in June-July. There is not much more information available.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- SACC proposal to change the name of Kaempfer's Woodpecker
- Leite et al. 2010. First description of the juvenile plumage of the critically endangered Kaempfer's Woodpecker Celeus obrieni of central Brazil. Ornithologia Tropical 21: 453-456
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Jan 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rufous-headed Woodpecker. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-headed_Woodpecker
