Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus)

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

yellow-tufted_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Southeast Peru

yellow-tufted_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Amazonian Brazil

yellow-tufted_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Male | Loc. Southeast Peru

yellow-tufted_woodpecker
Age: Adult | Sex: Female | Loc. Southeast Peru

Identification & Behavior: ~19 cm (7.4 in). The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is mostly black with prominent long yellow superciliary lines that end in a yellow tuft.  The belly is red in the center with barred sides and flanks. The rump is white. The male has a red forehead, females have black foreheads. It is often found in pairs or family groups in or the edges of cleared forest and agricultural land.  Unmistakeable, but see White Woodpecker.

Status: The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is fairly common in Amazonia. It is known to range up to 1200 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Carpintero de Penacho Amarillo.

Sub-species: Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus), Boddaert 1783.

Meaning of Name: Melanerpes: Gr. melas= black and herpes= climbing. cruentatus: L. cruor, cruentatus= blood, bloodstained.

See more of the Family Picidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
yellow-tufted 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.