The golden-olive woodpecker is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Mexico south and east through Panama, in every mainland South American country except Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Region
Central America and northern to Andean South America
Typical Environment
The golden-olive woodpecker inhabits humid to semi-humid forests, forest edges, second growth, coffee and shade plantations, and patches of woodland within agricultural mosaics. It is common in foothills and montane zones and also occurs locally in lowlands. It readily uses disturbed habitats provided mature trees remain for foraging and nesting. Across the Andes and Central America, it occupies both primary and secondary forest and frequents riparian corridors.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This widespread woodpecker ranges from Mexico through Central America and across much of South America, where it is mostly non-migratory. It frequently forages on trunks and larger branches for ants, beetle larvae, and other invertebrates, but also takes fruits and berries. Both sexes excavate nest cavities and drum to advertise territories, with notable geographic variation in plumage among many subspecies.
Temperament
alert and territorial
Flight Pattern
undulating with short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks while foraging. Pairs maintain territories year-round in many areas. They excavate nest cavities in dead or decaying wood; both parents incubate and feed the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include a rolling, rattling series of notes and sharp, nasal calls. Drumming is a rapid, even roll used for communication and territorial display, often delivered from prominent snags.
Plumage
Upperparts olive to golden-olive with a bronzy sheen; underparts buffy to olive with dark barring. The head shows contrasting facial markings; males typically have a red crown and malar, females lack some or all of the red. Wings and tail are darker with olive tones and pale barring.
Diet
Feeds primarily on ants, termites, beetles, and their larvae gleaned from bark and wood, as well as other arthropods. It also consumes fruits and berries, especially when insect prey is less abundant. Foraging involves probing, hammering, and prying bark, with occasional sallying to pick prey from foliage.
Preferred Environment
Forages on trunks, large branches, and stumps in forest, edges, and secondary growth. Frequently uses shade trees in agroforestry systems and gardens with mature trees.
