The ochraceous piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is endemic to north-eastern Brazil.
Region
Northeast Brazil
Typical Environment
Found in caatinga scrub, dry and semi-deciduous woodland, riverine gallery forest, and edges of Atlantic Forest fragments. It favors secondary growth, thickets, and orchards where small-diameter branches and stems are abundant. The species often occurs near watercourses within otherwise dry landscapes. It is typically local and patchy, tracking remnant habitats within an extensively altered region.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny woodpecker, the ochraceous piculet occupies dry and semi-humid habitats in northeastern Brazil, often frequenting edges, orchards, and second-growth. Like other piculets, it uses a short, chisel-tipped bill to probe for insects on thin twigs and stems rather than heavy trunk-drilling. Pairs often keep close contact with soft, high-pitched calls and may join mixed-species flocks.
Temperament
skulking but active
Flight Pattern
short, rapid wingbeats with brief undulating bounds
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks in second-growth. Both sexes excavate a tiny cavity in soft wood or a decayed stub for nesting. Clutch is small, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched seee notes and short trills, often in rapid series. Also communicates with soft tapping and dry rattles while foraging. Vocalizations are modest but persistent, aiding pair cohesion.
Plumage
Overall warm ochraceous-buff tones with finely barred or mottled brown upperparts and paler underparts. Crown finely speckled; males show a small reddish to orange forecrown patch. Wings and tail are dusky with subtle barring; underparts may show faint streaking. Short, straight bill and proportionally short tail typical of piculets.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as ants, termites, beetles, and their larvae. Forages by gleaning and pecking at thin twigs, vine stems, and dead branch tips where insects are concealed. Will probe soft wood and bark crevices rather than drilling deeply. Occasionally takes small spiders and other invertebrates.
Preferred Environment
Edges of scrub and secondary woodland, vine tangles, bamboo or cane stands, and orchards. Often forages in the midstory and canopy on outer branchlets, sometimes hanging acrobatically.
