The rufous-headed woodpecker is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
Region
Western Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland rainforest of Bolivia, Brazil (western Amazon), Ecuador, and Peru, with a strong association to extensive Guadua bamboo thickets. Favors bamboo-dominated terra firme and edges of floodplain forests, as well as secondary growth where bamboo proliferates. Often uses midstory strata, moving along bamboo clumps and adjacent trees. It can be scarce away from bamboo stands and is patchy across its wide range.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This bamboo-associated woodpecker is patchy but locally fairly common where extensive Guadua bamboo stands occur in the western Amazon. It often forages quietly in pairs or small family groups, spending long periods probing bamboo culms for hidden prey. Its conspicuous rufous head and shaggy crest make it one of the most distinctive Celeus woodpeckers.
Male in Acre, Brazil
Temperament
quiet and deliberate
Flight Pattern
undulating with short, direct bursts
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups. Pairs excavate nest cavities in soft or dead wood, often near bamboo stands. Breeding timing varies locally in the Amazon, with both parents participating in nesting duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are a series of sharp, nasal notes and squeals, often given from within bamboo thickets. Drumming is brief and resonant, frequently performed on hollow bamboo culms.
Plumage
Striking rufous head with a shaggy, pointed crest; body largely dark with buff barring and speckling on the mantle and wings. Underparts are dusky with pale streaking, and the tail is mostly dark. The overall effect is a high-contrast, barred woodpecker with a vivid rufous head.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects, especially ants, termites, and beetle larvae found in dead wood and bamboo culms. It pecks, probes, and scales bamboo nodes to reach hidden prey. Occasionally takes other arthropods and may opportunistically consume small amounts of fruit.
Preferred Environment
Forages in bamboo-dominated understory and midstory, moving along clumped stems and adjacent tree trunks. Frequently uses forest edges, gaps, and secondary growth where bamboo is abundant.
