Red-crowned Woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-crowned Woodpecker

Melanerpes rubricapillus (Cabanis, 1862)

16–18 cmLength52 gWeight

The red-crowned woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae.

Busiest months: January–March · Most records: Colombia, Panama, Venezuela

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Red-crowned Woodpecker has been recorded at 243 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Parque del EsteVenezuela4,136 records
  2. Ammo Dump PondsPanama3,292 records
  3. Hotel Tinamú Birding Nature ReserveColombia2,942 records
More places
  1. Posada El GalloVenezuela2,676 records
  2. RN Laguna de SonsoColombia2,386 records
  3. Gamboa Rainforest ReservePanama2,112 records
  4. Summit PondsPanama1,915 records
  5. Wilson Botanical GardenCosta Rica1,847 records
  6. Parque Natural MetropolitanoPanama1,812 records
  7. Canopy LodgePanama1,474 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ColombiaPanamaVenezuelaCosta RicaTrinidad & TobagoSurinameGuyana

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 red-crowned woodpecker (Melanerpes rubricapillus) is a species of bird in the subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and Tobago.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-crowned Woodpecker?

The Red-crowned Woodpecker is about 16–18 cm long and weighs around 52 g.

Where does the Red-crowned Woodpecker live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Costa Rica to northwestern Venezuela. It is most often recorded in Colombia, Panama and Venezuela.

When is the best time to see the Red-crowned Woodpecker?

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

Is the Red-crowned Woodpecker endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-crowned Woodpecker as Least Concern.

What does the Red-crowned Woodpecker eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Red-crowned Woodpecker in?

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

At a glance

Length
16–18 cm
Weight
52 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
105 mm
Tail
60 mm
Bill
23 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

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

Range

Middle America, South America: Costa Rica to northwestern Venezuela

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 herminieriPuerto Rican WoodpeckerPuerto Rican WoodpeckerMelanerpes portoricensisRed-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 cactorum
Red-crowned Woodpecker

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

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