White Woodpecker
Melanerpes candidus (Otto, 1796)
24–29 cmLength108 gWeight
The white woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus) is a South American species of woodpecker (family Picidae) native to the wooded grasslands of Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay
White Woodpecker has been recorded at 260 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Floresta Estadual Edmundo Navarro de AndradeBrazil553 records
- Pousada TrijunçãoBrazil453 records
- Poconé – Pousada PiuvalBrazil389 records
More places
- Aquidauana – Pousada AguapéBrazil376 records
- Parque Linear Nove de JulhoBrazil336 records
- Indaiatuba – Sítio São BentoBrazil311 records
- CeibasArgentina257 records
- Instituto ButantanBrazil245 records
- Rio Claro – Campus da UNESPBrazil243 records
- Área Natural Protegida Don SebastiánArgentina226 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 white woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus) is a South American species of woodpecker (family Picidae) native to the wooded grasslands of Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. It is a bright white bird with black wings and a distinctive small bright yellow eye patch. The IUCN has rated it as a "least-concern species".
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the White Woodpecker?
The White Woodpecker is about 24–29 cm long and weighs around 108 g.
Where does the White Woodpecker live?
Its breeding range: South America: coastal Suriname and French Guiana; lower Amazon River, eastern, southeastern Brazil to southeastern Peru, northern Argentina and Uruguay. It is most often recorded in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
When is the best time to see the White Woodpecker?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the White Woodpecker endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the White Woodpecker as Least Concern.
What does the White Woodpecker eat?
Main food: Fruit.
What family is the White Woodpecker in?
It belongs to the family Woodpeckers (Picidae), order Piciformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 24–29 cm
- Weight
- 108 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Fruit
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 157 mm
- Tail
- 96 mm
- Bill
- 35 mm
- Tarsus
- 25 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: coastal Suriname and French Guiana; lower Amazon River, eastern, southeastern Brazil to southeastern Peru, northern Argentina and Uruguay
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Piciformes
- Family
- Woodpeckers Picidae
- Genus
- Melanerpes
Other birds in the genus Melanerpes
Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewis
Guadeloupe WoodpeckerMelanerpes herminieri
Puerto Rican WoodpeckerMelanerpes portoricensis
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorus
Yellow-tufted WoodpeckerMelanerpes cruentatus
Yellow-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes flavifrons
Golden-naped WoodpeckerMelanerpes chrysauchen
Beautiful WoodpeckerMelanerpes pulcher
Black-cheeked WoodpeckerMelanerpes pucherani
White-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes cactorum
Hispaniolan WoodpeckerMelanerpes striatus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Kent Miller. ↗
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