The rusty-necked piculet is a species of bird in subfamily Picumninae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found along the Brazilian-Bolivian border.
Region
Southwestern Amazon Basin (Brazil–Bolivia border)
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland riparian forests, gallery woodlands, and seasonally flooded várzea along the Guaporé/Itenez River and nearby tributaries. It favors bamboo thickets, vine tangles, and the outer foliage of small trees near waterways. The species is patchy and localized, often tied to intact river-edge forest. It can use secondary growth if sufficient dead twigs and bamboo are present for foraging and nesting.
Altitude Range
50–300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny woodpecker of the subfamily Picumninae, the rusty-necked piculet is confined to riparian and seasonally flooded forests along the Brazil–Bolivia border, especially around the Guaporé/Itenez River. It often forages quietly in bamboo and vine tangles, where its rust-colored neck helps with camouflage. Males typically show a small reddish or orange forecrown patch, a useful field mark at close range. Habitat loss along river margins is its main threat.
Temperament
inconspicuous and active
Flight Pattern
short undulating flights between perches
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups, and often joins mixed-species flocks in the midstory. It forages by gleaning and delicate tapping on thin branches, dead twigs, and bamboo. Nests are excavated in soft dead wood or bamboo stems; both sexes likely share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched seeps and a rapid, tinkling trill delivered in short series. Soft tapping may be heard at close range while foraging. Vocalizations are unobtrusive and easily missed over river noise.
Plumage
Small, brownish piculet with a distinct rusty or rufous neck and nape, finely barred or mottled underparts, and a lightly speckled crown. Upperparts are olive-brown to dusky with subtle barring, and the tail is short with dark feathers and pale tips. Males show a small reddish to orange forecrown patch; females lack this or show reduced spotting.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small arthropods, including ants, termites, beetles, and their larvae. It gleans prey from bark, leaf petioles, and the surfaces of thin dead twigs, and probes bamboo internodes and vine tangles. Drilling is light compared to larger woodpeckers, relying more on picking and probing.
Preferred Environment
Forages along river-edge vegetation, in bamboo patches, vine tangles, and the outer canopy of small trees. Often uses secondary growth and forest edges where dead twigs are abundant.
