Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus)

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

golden-olive_woodpercker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Northwest Peru

golden-olive_woodpercker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Northwest Peru

golden-olive_woodpercker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Southeast Peru

golden-olive_woodpercker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Aguas Calientes Peru


Identification & Behavior: ~21.5 cm (8.5 in). The Golden-Olive Woodpecker has plain green-olive upperparts and barred underparts with a dark throat and distinctive pale face and sides of the head. The male in northwest Peru (rubripileus), has a red forehead, crown, and nape. The male in other subspecies has a gray forehead. Males in all subspecies show a red malar stripe. The female lacks the red malar stripe. It has a similar head pattern as  Spot-breasted Woodpecker and Crimson-mantled Woodpecker but is distinguished by plain golden-olive back and evenly barred underparts.

Status: The Golden-Olive Woodpecker is fairly common in the deciduous forests in northwest Peru (up to 800 m)  and along the east slope of the Andes (750 – 2400 m). It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Carpintero Olivo y-Dorado.

Sub-species: Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus rubripileus), Salvadori and Festa 1900. W Ecuador and NW Peru.
(C. r. coloratus), Chapman 1923. Extreme SE Ecuador and NC Peru.
(C. r. chrysogaster), Berlepsch and Stolzmann, 1902. C Peru.
(C.r. canipileus), d’Orbigny 1840. Extreme SE Peru to SE Bolivia.

Meaning of Name: Colaptes: Gr. kolaptë, kolaptö= beak-shaped like a chisel, peck. rubiginosus: L. rusty, reddish.

See more of the Family Picidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
golden-olive_woodperckerVoice


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.