The plain-breasted piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in the Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland Amazonia of northeastern Peru, western Brazil (especially Acre and adjacent areas), and southeastern Colombia. Prefers river-edge second growth, young varzea forests, and river islands with Cecropia, willows, and bamboo. It also uses forest margins, clearings with scattered shrubs, and overgrown gardens near water. The species is generally tied to successional habitats created by flooding and disturbance.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This tiny woodpecker favors young riverine forests and edges where it forages on thin twigs and vine tangles. Unlike larger woodpeckers, piculets often perch horizontally and use delicate tapping and probing rather than heavy hammering. Males show small red spotting on the forecrown, a key field mark. They nest in small cavities they excavate in soft, dead wood or bamboo stems.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief undulations
Social Behavior
Typically found singly, in pairs, or small family groups, often accompanying mixed-species flocks along edges. Pairs maintain small territories and communicate with soft calls and gentle tapping. They excavate small nest cavities in dead twigs, thin branches, or bamboo and both sexes participate in nest duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft, high-pitched trills and thin seep notes, often delivered from low perches. Drumming is weak and brief, more like taps than rolls, used mainly in close-range communication.
Plumage
Upperparts brown to olive-brown with fine pale barring or speckling; underparts plain buffy to grayish without heavy markings. Crown finely spotted; males show small red spots on the forecrown. Tail short with contrasting pale and dark patterning typical of piculets.
Diet
Feeds primarily on tiny insects and their larvae, including ants, beetles, and termites, gleaned from thin branches, vines, and dead twigs. Uses delicate pecking and probing to extract prey from soft wood and bark crevices. Occasionally takes small spiders and other arthropods.
Preferred Environment
Most often forages at the forest edge, in young secondary growth, bamboo thickets, and river-island scrub. Stays low to mid-levels, frequently on slender stems that larger woodpeckers avoid.
