Yellow-tufted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

Melanerpes cruentatus (Boddaert, 1783)

20 cmLength58 gWeight

The yellow-tufted woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) is a species of woodpecker.

Busiest months: July and October · Most records: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Yellow-tufted Woodpecker has been recorded at 164 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. WildSumaco LodgeEcuador2,262 records
  2. Los Amigos Biological StationPeru817 records
  3. Sani LodgeEcuador790 records
More places
  1. Manu BiolodgePeru779 records
  2. RN Rancho CamanáColombia679 records
  3. Sumaco RoadEcuador649 records
  4. Universidad de Los LlanosColombia635 records
  5. Rio Cristalino – listas históricasBrazil539 records
  6. El Jaguar ProAves reserveColombia534 records
  7. Sacha LodgeEcuador518 records

Countries and regions with the most records

PeruEcuadorColombiaBrazilBoliviaGuyanaSurinameVenezuela

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 yellow-tufted woodpecker (Melanerpes cruentatus) is a species of woodpecker. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.

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

Questions

How big is the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker?

The Yellow-tufted Woodpecker is about 20 cm long and weighs around 58 g.

Where does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker live?

Its breeding range: South America: Amazonia. It is most often recorded in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

When is the best time to see the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker endangered?

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

What does the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker in?

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

At a glance

Length
20 cm
Weight
58 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
114 mm
Tail
56 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
19 mm

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

Range

South America: Amazonia

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-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
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

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