The chestnut woodpecker a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found on Trinidad and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Region
Northern South America and Trinidad
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across the Guianas, the Amazon Basin, and the Orinoco region, and on Trinidad; absent from the southern cone countries such as Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Prefers humid lowland forests including terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea, as well as gallery forests. Often uses forest edges, clearings with scattered large trees, and mature secondary growth. Locally enters shaded plantations and wooded riparian corridors where large dead limbs are available.
Altitude Range
0–1300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Chestnut Woodpecker is a striking Celeus woodpecker with rich rufous-chestnut plumage and a prominent crest. Males show a red malar stripe, while females lack it, making sexing in the field relatively straightforward. It forages chiefly for ants, termites, and wood-boring larvae, excavating soft or decaying wood and using its long tongue to extract prey. Nests are carved into dead trunks or large branches, where pairs raise small broods.
Temperament
wary but active
Flight Pattern
undulating with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs, sometimes with a dependent juvenile. Pairs maintain territories year-round and communicate with drumming and loud calls. They excavate nest cavities in dead trunks or large dead limbs, where both sexes participate in excavation and incubation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp peek notes, harsh churrs, and rolling, whinny-like series that carry through the forest. Drumming is a short, rapid rattle delivered on resonant dead wood.
