Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Puerto Rican Woodpecker

Melanerpes portoricensis (Daudin, 1803)

27 cmLength60 gWeight

The Puerto Rican woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) is the only woodpecker endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and is one of the five species of the genus Melanerpes that occur in the Antilles.

Busiest months: December–March · Most records: Puerto Rico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December–March · Most records: Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican Woodpecker has been recorded at 25 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. PN Julio Enrique MonagaPuerto Rico1,755 records
  2. Bosque Estatal de Río AbajoPuerto Rico1,347 records
  3. Bosque Estatal de CambalachePuerto Rico1,304 records
More places
  1. Hacienda La EsperanzaPuerto Rico1,200 records
  2. Bosque Estatal de MaricaoPuerto Rico1,047 records
  3. Refugio de Vida Silvestre de BoquerónPuerto Rico872 records
  4. Bosque Estatal de PiñonesPuerto Rico798 records
  5. 26 HDLPuerto Rico647 records
  6. Bosque Estatal de Maricao – trail at km 16.8Puerto Rico627 records
  7. Reserva Natural de HumacaoPuerto Rico620 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Puerto Rico

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 Puerto Rican woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) is the only woodpecker endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and is one of the five species of the genus Melanerpes that occur in the Antilles. Furthermore, it is the only resident species of the family Picidae in Puerto Rico. The species is common on the main island of Puerto Rico and rare on the island of Vieques.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker?

The Puerto Rican Woodpecker is about 27 cm long and weighs around 60 g.

Where does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker live?

Its breeding range: North America: Puerto Rico. It is most often recorded in Puerto Rico.

When is the best time to see the Puerto Rican Woodpecker?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Puerto Rican Woodpecker as Least Concern.

What does the Puerto Rican Woodpecker eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Puerto Rican Woodpecker in?

It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.

At a glance

Length
27 cm
Weight
60 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
119 mm
Tail
76 mm
Bill
29 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: Puerto Rico

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Woodpeckers Picidae
Genus
Melanerpes

Other birds in the genus Melanerpes

White WoodpeckerWhite WoodpeckerMelanerpes candidusLewis's WoodpeckerLewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewisGuadeloupe WoodpeckerGuadeloupe WoodpeckerMelanerpes herminieriRed-headed WoodpeckerRed-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusAcorn WoodpeckerAcorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusYellow-tufted WoodpeckerYellow-tufted WoodpeckerMelanerpes cruentatusYellow-fronted WoodpeckerYellow-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes flavifronsGolden-naped WoodpeckerGolden-naped WoodpeckerMelanerpes chrysauchenBeautiful WoodpeckerBeautiful WoodpeckerMelanerpes pulcherBlack-cheeked WoodpeckerBlack-cheeked WoodpeckerMelanerpes pucheraniWhite-fronted WoodpeckerWhite-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes cactorumHispaniolan WoodpeckerHispaniolan WoodpeckerMelanerpes striatus
Puerto Rican Woodpecker

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Reinier Munguia. ↗

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