Red-Crowned Woodpecker

Red-Crowned Woodpecker

Melanerpes rubricapillus

Predict Sightings

About This Species

A familiar woodpecker of open woodland, forest edge, gardens and palm groves through Central America and northern South America. Look for the barred black-and-white back and, in males, a red crown running to the nape; both sexes give sharp churring calls and soft drumming. It is conspicuous year-round, especially around flowering or fruiting trees and palms.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

  • Protection is written into national wildlife laws across most of its range, though enforcement and specifics vary by country.
  • A comfortable viewing distance of ten to fifteen metres is generally enough; avoid disturbing nest cavities excavated in dead palms or snags, particularly during the breeding season.
LCAvesPiciformesPicidae

Seasonal Activity

371,692 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

All monthsThis month

Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Piciformes
Family
Picidae

Photo

Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

CC-BY-SA-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.