Red-Crowned Woodpecker
Melanerpes rubricapillus
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.