The crimson-crested woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Panama, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.
Region
Central and South America
Typical Environment
Occurs from Panama and Trinidad across much of mainland South America, absent only from Chile and Uruguay. It inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests, gallery woodlands, and forest edges. The species tolerates selectively logged forests and older secondary growth where large trees and snags remain. It is often seen in riverine corridors and in tall woodland remnants within agricultural mosaics.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking woodpecker is among the largest in the Neotropics and features a vivid crimson crest in both sexes. Males show a red malar stripe while females have a blackish malar, and both give powerful double-knock drums typical of the genus Campephilus. It nests in large cavities excavated in dead or decaying trees and plays an important role in creating nest sites later used by other wildlife.
Female
Temperament
alert and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier with undulating flight
Social Behavior
Typically found in pairs or small family groups within well-defined territories. Both sexes excavate nest cavities high in large trees and share incubation and chick-rearing. Courtship includes mutual drumming, head-bobbing, and display flights.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls are loud, nasal yelps and rattling notes given singly or in short series. Drumming includes powerful double-knocks characteristic of Campephilus woodpeckers.
Plumage
Glossy black body with bold white lines along the sides of the neck that continue onto the upper back as narrow scapular stripes; large pale wing patches visible in flight. Both sexes have a prominent crimson crest; underparts mostly black with some pale barring on the flanks.
Diet
Feeds primarily on wood-boring beetle larvae, ants, termites, and other insects obtained by scaling bark and chiseling into decaying wood. It also probes large branches and stumps for hidden prey. Occasionally takes fruits or seeds, especially when insect prey is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Forages on trunks and major limbs of mature trees, often in the mid to upper canopy. Frequently uses dead snags and fallen logs, and may visit forest edges and riparian zones where large trees persist.
