
Little Woodpecker
Veniliornis passerinus (Linnaeus, 1766)
14–15 cmLength32 gWeight
The little woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae.
Busiest months: July–August and October · Most records: Brazil, Peru, Ecuador
Where and when it's recorded
Little Woodpecker has been recorded at 216 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Floresta Estadual Edmundo Navarro de AndradeBrazil1,048 records
- Poconé – Pousada PiuvalBrazil918 records
- Poconé – Aymara LodgeBrazil660 records
More places
- Poconé – SouthWild PantanalBrazil560 records
- Pantanal – P. Jofre boat on Rio Cuiabá & tributariesBrazil444 records
- Poconé – Pousada Pouso AlegreBrazil364 records
- Manu BiolodgePeru359 records
- Botucatu – Fazenda EdgárdiaBrazil356 records
- Pantanal – Porto JofreBrazil319 records
- Barba Azul Nature ReserveBolivia260 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The little woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Little Woodpecker?
The Little Woodpecker is about 14–15 cm long and weighs around 32 g.
Where does the Little Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: South America: widespread. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Peru and Ecuador.
When is the best time to see the Little Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, August and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Little Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Little Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the Little Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Little Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 14–15 cm
- Weight
- 32 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 77 mm
- Tail
- 47 mm
- Bill
- 19 mm
- Tarsus
- 14 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Veniliornis
Other birds in the genus Veniliornis
Dot-fronted WoodpeckerVeniliornis frontalis
White-spotted WoodpeckerVeniliornis spilogaster
Checkered WoodpeckerVeniliornis mixtus
Striped WoodpeckerVeniliornis lignarius
Scarlet-backed WoodpeckerVeniliornis callonotus
Yellow-vented WoodpeckerVeniliornis dignus
Bar-bellied WoodpeckerVeniliornis nigriceps
Blood-colored WoodpeckerVeniliornis sanguineus
Red-rumped WoodpeckerVeniliornis kirkii
Red-stained WoodpeckerVeniliornis affinis
Choco WoodpeckerVeniliornis chocoensis
Golden-collared WoodpeckerVeniliornis cassini
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗
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