Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans)

Order: Piciformes  | Family: Picidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

chestnut woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Tambopata, Madre de Dios

chestnut woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc.Tambopata, Madre de Dios

chestnut_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Loreto, Peru

chestnut_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Amazonas, Brazil

Identification & Behavior: ~28 cm (11 in). The Chestnut Woodpecker is uniformly rufous-chestnut without barring. The sides and flanks are rufous-yellow. Only the male has a red malar stripe. The bill is pale in both sexes. It favors Terra Firme forest and tall Varzea forest in Amazonia where it often joins mixed-species foraging flocks. It is similar to Scale-breasted Woodpecker, but is distinguished by being dark-plain chestnut (no barring).

Status: The Chestnut Woodpecker is uncommon in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 600 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Carpintero Castaño.

Sub-species: Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans citreopygius), P. L. Sclater and Salvin 1867.

Meaning of Name: Celeus: Gr. keleus= green woodpecker. elegans: L. elegant, fine.

See more of the Family Picidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
chestnut_woodpeckerVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.