The imperial woodpecker is a woodpecker species endemic to Mexico. If it is not extinct, it is the world's largest woodpecker species, at 56–60 cm (22–23.5 in) long. Owing to its close taxonomic relationship, and its similarity in appearance, to the ivory-billed woodpecker, it is sometimes called the Mexican ivory-billed woodpecker, but this name is also used for the extant pale-billed woodpecker. The large and conspicuous bird has long been known to the native inhabitants of Mexico and was called cuauhtotomomi in Nahuatl, uagam by the Tepehuán and cumecócari by the Tarahumara.
Region
Sierra Madre Occidental
Typical Environment
Historically inhabited old-growth pine and pine–oak forests of the northern and western mountains of Mexico. It favored extensive tracts of mature forest with numerous large snags and dying pines for foraging and nesting. The species typically used open-canopied slopes and plateaus where wood-boring beetle larvae were abundant. Habitat loss and fragmentation have severely reduced suitable areas, and any surviving population would be highly localized.
Altitude Range
1200–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The imperial woodpecker is the largest woodpecker ever reliably documented, historically confined to Mexico’s Sierra Madre Occidental. It is critically endangered and possibly extinct, with the last widely accepted records from the mid-20th century. Its decline is linked to extensive logging of old-growth pine forests and persecution. It is closely related to the ivory-billed woodpecker and shares similar appearance and foraging behaviors.
Adult male (front) and adult female (back)
Female preserved specimen at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin; note hand for size comparison
Temperament
wary and elusive
Flight Pattern
strong, direct flight with deep wingbeats; large white wing panels flash prominently
Social Behavior
Typically observed in pairs or small family groups, maintaining large territories in mature forests. Nests are excavated high in large dead or dying pines. Both sexes contribute to cavity excavation and care of young. Foraging involves scaling bark and chiseling into large trunks and limbs.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations include loud, resonant, trumpet-like calls that carry through the forest. Drumming features powerful, distinctive double-knocks typical of Campephilus woodpeckers. Calls and drumming served for territory advertisement and pair contact.
