The crimson-mantled woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Northern and Central Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs from western Venezuela through Colombia and Ecuador to Peru and northern Bolivia. Prefers humid montane and cloud forests with abundant mosses and epiphytes, using both interior and edges. It also frequents forest clearings, secondary growth, and patches of Polylepis or other high-elevation woodlands. Typically occupies mid- to upper-elevation slopes where tall, mature trees provide foraging substrates and nesting sites.
Altitude Range
1200–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This striking Andean woodpecker is named for its vivid crimson mantle and back, making it one of the most easily recognized woodpeckers in montane cloud forests. It forages quietly on mossy trunks and larger limbs, often probing among epiphytes for insects. Subspecies vary subtly in head pattern and underpart barring across its broad Andean range. By consuming wood-boring insects, it plays a helpful role in forest health.
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
undulating with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Drums and calls to advertise territory in the breeding season. Nests are excavated in dead or decaying wood; both sexes participate in cavity excavation, incubation, and chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp, ringing peek or piit notes given singly or in short series. Drumming is a rapid, even roll on resonant trunks or snags. Calls carry through cloud forest but are given intermittently, adding to its elusive nature.
