The Cuban green woodpecker is a species of woodpecker in the family Picidae and tribe Melanerpini, known locally in Cuban Spanish as carpintero verde. It is the only species within the genus Xiphidiopicus and is one of two woodpeckers endemic to Cuba. It is the most widespread and common woodpecker in Cuba, inhabiting primarily woodlands, as well as dry and wet forests, pine forests and mangroves. The population of the Cuban green woodpecker is stable and its status is listed as "Least Concern".
Region
Greater Antilles (Cuba)
Typical Environment
Widespread across mainland Cuba and Isla de la Juventud in a variety of wooded habitats. It occupies dry and moist broadleaf forests, pine forests, mangroves, and wooded savannas with palms. The species also uses forest edges, plantations, and semi-urban parks where mature trees are present. It forages from understory trunks to the canopy and readily exploits deadwood and snags for nesting and feeding.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Known locally as the carpintero verde, it is the only member of its genus and one of two woodpeckers endemic to Cuba. It plays an important ecological role by controlling wood-boring insects and helping create cavities later used by other species. Pairs advertise territories with rapid drumming and conspicuous calls.
A male X.p percussus gripping a tree
Underparts of a male Xiphidiopicus percussus
Pair of X. percussus perching on branches
Cordia sebestena
A male excavating a nest from an arboreal termite nest
X.percussus adult plumage
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short undulating flight with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs within well-defined territories. Both sexes excavate nest cavities in dead or decaying wood, often in palms or pines. They are seasonally monogamous, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing. Occasionally joins mixed-species foraging flocks in forest edges.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp, repeated kek or kik notes and rolling rattles. Drumming is a rapid burst on resonant wood used for territorial advertisement. Calls carry well through forest habitats.
